Better than nothing but not good enough.  What’s best?  Universal single-payer health Insurance, that’s what, as in Canada, Japan and West Europe.  The only reason we don’t have it here is because of this ideological fixation on the Market uber a real health care system.  “Shove private health accounts down their throats.  They mustn’t even think of doing it the all for one and one for all way.  That’ll only breed dependency.”  “And if people die because of insufficient coverage?” 
“It’ll be their own damn fault.  They didn’t have what it takes.  Survival of the fittest, you know.”

One other factor that is not being considered is the fact that some citizens, like myself, do not go to doctors.  If half the health care money being spent in america is for alternative care, it seems rather ugly to be forced into buying health insurance or receive a hefty fine.  Especially if you are in the barely-scraping-by-financally group.  The “two dollar a month” government-paid policies always sound good until you apply for them….

Insurance companies certainly do exploit their opportunities and bilk people when they can, but their role is vital as a means of effectively distributing the hardship of unbeleivably expensive medical treatment for one person to all of their customers (while making a fat profit at the same time…)
They are a necessity. 
It would be nice if they ran their businesses with the goal of maximizing social benefit and not just maximizing profit.

I think this is unconstitutional and should be challenged by businesses and individual under a class action lawsuit.  We have a free enterprise system.  We are supposed to be Free in the United States.  I see places not hiring, see people losing jobs, people not getting raises.  I also see people by discount insurance that won’t really cover them.  Thank goodness I don’t live in Massachusetts. If Indiana did that.  I would have to move.  It would actual be cheaper to pay the $1000 fee a year than get health insurance because it would be cheaper.  I hope Massachusetts Civil Liberties Union challenge this.  Maine is different because it voluntary not mandatory. I won’t be moving to Massachusetts.

The government can provide damage insurance for those who can afford to build vacation homes at the waters edge , force us to accept lower wages ” the immagrints are only doing what no one else will do” ! and weather you can afford it or not get health insurance! Robber barons are stripping blue collars of everything WE have worked for, The basics The ability to provide for our families, buy a home, send our kids to college, work an eight hour day, and someday be able to retire. Our government has gone from deregulating corporations and utilities to regulating the American people. Easy targets losing their voices, and in desparate need of real representation

This scheme will accomplish little except to further enrich the insurance companies at public expense. Insurance itself should be outlawed,or at least discouraged by public policy,  because it’s nothing more than a means of swindling those who can least afford it.

If this health insurance scam becomes Massachusetts law, it will open the door to similar scams across the nation. And they won’t stop with health insurance. Why not legally require home insurance, apartment insurance for renters, flood insurance, and even life insurance? There will be no end to it, once the insurance lobbyists smell those potential profits.