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Today's Poll: Should people be required by law to buy health insurance?

By Howard B. Owens
tom hunt

I voted NO. I can understand the rational and logic of requiring everybody to be medically insured, but it goes against the grain of individuality and personal freedom. Everybody, who has insurance, ends up paying for those who are uninsured and require expensive medical procedures. They usually end up stiffing the hospital and medical staff. Their billing is just added to those who are properly insured.

Mar 26, 2012, 3:21pm Permalink
Tammy Way

there is no reason this country can't provide insurance to all -- we send enough money to other countries -- charity start at home -- provide for our own and then look out to others-- no homeless - no uninsured -- no hunger --

Mar 26, 2012, 9:42am Permalink
Lisa Falkowski

I can't imagine anyone NOT wanting health insurance, but sometimes they choose between feeding their family and health insurance for very unselfish reasons.

Mar 26, 2012, 10:02am Permalink
Charlie Mallow

It's not acceptable in our society to let someone who doesn’t have health coverage die, but I think most of us are also unwilling to pay for those who can pay for themselves.

I’m tired of going to the hospital and paying $9 for an aspirin because the costs of someone else’s coverage costs are getting passed on to me in the way of higher insurance premiums.

Mar 26, 2012, 10:22am Permalink
bud prevost

No. This doesn't, however, mean that health care shouldn't be a basic right of citizenship. I truly believe if fraud and profit were removed from the equation, health care could be much more efficient than it currently is. My idea? glad you asked......basic health care for all Americans, and if you want advanced coverage, you can purchase it. Sounds simple, doesn't it? The insurance and health industry lobby will never allow that to happen. Why? Greed, which unfortunately is the American way.

Mar 26, 2012, 10:07am Permalink
Rich Richmond

The Rights of American Citizens as opposed to illegal aliens are enumerated in the United States Constitution.

I challenge anyone to find the words “free health care” in this Document.

Mar 26, 2012, 10:55am Permalink
bud prevost

I'm not proposing anything that's free. We all pay a medicare tax already, if we have an income. I just think we can build a better mousetrap.
And illegals are another component of the system that drive up the cost.

Mar 26, 2012, 11:56am Permalink
Mark Brudz

Everyone seems to miss the point, and yes it is a constitutional point.

Our constitution was framed so that the powers reside with the state, not the Federal government. Mandates, such as insurance for cars, homes etc fall under the purview of the state as does the policing powers there of.

We as US citizens, have the right to move from state to state if we do not like mandates by the state. If the mandate is from the Fed, what is the recoarse?

Before anyone throws the commerce clause out there, the commerce clause regulates what we can or can not do, NOT what we have to do.

I am pretty certain that everyone wants health care for the poor, lower cost etc. The issue is who bares the responsibilty.

As far as cost goes, the current law was projected to cost $964Billion this was achieved by many political slights of hand, last week the non partisan CBO re-evaluated the law as it does legislation every year, what a surprise that the law is actually going to cost $1.764Trillion.

The bottom line is one size doesn't fit all, what works in NY may not be so workable in North Dakota, Oddly, Great Britain and Canada which many point to are actually breaking up thier health care systems and regionalizing them, Why? Because it is unaffordable as is.

When everyone speaks of our rights, there is one key tjhing to remember, WE HAVE THE RIGHT TO PURSUE HAPPINESS, NOT, I SAY NOT TO BE HAPPY! Happiness is achieved by overcoming obstacles not by a government removing them, we are not lemmings.

What is at risk here, goes far beyond healthcare, it is about states rights and the very fiber of our personal freedoms, and the individual power of each state.

Again, we have the right to pursue a better life, to pursue good affordable healthcare, not the right to have it handed to us.

Mar 26, 2012, 12:38pm Permalink
Mark Brudz

Bud, I think it is more like the politicians, particularly the Party leaders won't allow it, it is about power more than money. An insurance company would love basic insurance coverage and would have a field day(Also make a fortune) selling supplimental insurance. I cite the AARP, they are not a seniors group, they are a supplimental insurance outfit, don't kid yourself

Mar 26, 2012, 1:01pm Permalink
Rich Richmond

An important component to a better mouse trap (affordable voluntary health care) is tort reform; putting a cap on the obscene profits made by trial lawyers, a major factor in driving up the cost of health care.

Does anyone disagree that the obscene profits made by trial lawyers do not create good paying manufacturing jobs or any jobs for that matter and only perpetuates the same?

Tort reform wasn’t included in OBAMA CARE. It was deliberately blocked and stonewalled in the Senate as an addition and/or amendment to the bill….WHY?

Another component to a better mousetrap is competition; the selling heath care across state lines; the current restrictions written into law by the Congress; again in relation to OBAMA CARE see the Senate.

This brings us to profit. Without profit there is no incentive. Without incentive there is no innovation. Without innovation medical technology and/or the quality of health care will stagnate.

Which brings us to stagnate; see the Congress.

Mar 26, 2012, 1:58pm Permalink
Mark Brudz

AMEN Mr Richmond!

TORT reform itself would do more to reduce the cost of healthcare than any one move. Just look at the states that have like Texas, the have experience huge savings since implimenting tort reform

Mar 26, 2012, 2:23pm Permalink
Rich Richmond

You are correct Mark.

It is all about money and power.

That’s why it’s highly unlikely we will never have a flat federal tax.

Such a tax would assuredly gut the Congress’s power and their propensity for corruption and put the power in the hands of the people as the Founding Fathers intended.

Mar 26, 2012, 5:22pm Permalink
Janice Stenman

I voted yes. Why? Remember this? Randy Tonner Jr., hasn't worked since July 2.

That was the night he was brutally attacked on a street in Rochester that put him the acute brain injury unit at Strong Memorial Hospital for more than a month.

At the time, Tonner was a single parent raising his 6-year-old son, Maddox, living and working in Rochester. He was an independent contractor, installing flooring for Sherwin Williams.

With no employer-provided insurance, he's had no means to care for himself or his son and had to give up custody of Maddos and move back to Oakfield.

Heartbreaking.

Mar 26, 2012, 11:07pm Permalink

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