Why is Obama reluctant to mandate health insurance for all?

[rinsd]

After all, he does mandate coverage for children so why exclude the childless?

Some have mentioned that mandates will be the new "death tax".

But perhaps there is a philosophical opposition that Obama has.

Feel free to offer it.

So is the reasoning behind this

[toadzilla]

1. mandates dont work!

[Captain Hilts]

5. In Canada they do. In the military also. Everybody's in. nt

[sandnsea]

11. No, they give out a medical card

which is how everybody is included. Nobody in this country is talking about doing that.

[Captain Hilts]

25. I had a SIN card and OHIP. nt

[Occam Bandage]

12. Canada has single payer, not mandated private insurance. Huge difference.

[Egnever]

14. canada mandates people buy insurance?

or canda has a single payer system?

[Captain Hilts]

24. Single payer. But you get taxed out the ying yang for it. But EVERYBODY is in the system. nt

[Occam Bandage]

32. First of all, tax-supported single payer is completely different than mandated private insurance.

You can enforce the first. Good luck enforcing the second.

Secondly, the Canadian gov't spends less per capita on healthcare than America does.

[Captain Hilts]

2. Leaves the door open for wealthy and influential people - pol. donors - to opt out.

Buying off the financial cream of the crop by not requiring them to participate.

[sandnsea]

6. They will still pay their medical bills

The point is to get all medical bills paid so it doesn't matter whether rich people don't participate.

[Occam Bandage]

7. That doesn't really make sense. The wealthy are generally covered, and those who

are rich enough to not blink at the cost of a six-month hospital stay are also rich enough not to blink at the cost of minimum coverage.

[Captain Hilts]

28. But they blink on school taxes because their kids are in private schools and higher taxes for police

forces because their 'hoods have hired private protection, etc.

It's letting the wealthiest opt out.

[Occam Bandage]

30. Proportional taxes, yes. Of course. Healthcare coverage is a flat fee, and Obama plans on paying

for his program by raising their taxes. You think they don't mind having Bush's tax cuts roll back, but do mind paying for a high-deductible, high-copay, low-cost health care plan they'll never use?

[Captain Hilts]

31. Very true. But it's the political threat of 'socialism' that has my uncle digging a shelter in his.

backyard.

He thinks Hillary and Barak are going to come and take his gas grill away.

[Occam Bandage]

3. Practical.

I still, after all this discussion, haven't seen a reasonable system of enforcement for mandates.

[sandnsea]

4. Both, he's very clearly said it

He doesn't think it's a good idea to put in mandates before we get the costs under control - and he doesn't think mandates wil pass politically.

Mandates are a disaster all the way around.

Edwards' plan was not reliant on mandates either, his web site specifically says he would mandate AFTER the rest of the program was implemented. But you'll never hear Krugman tell the truth of that.

[TooBigaTent]

8. He does not really care about the individuals without medical care, especially

if his stance would upset his money men.

Even the pukes (who he is running toward) generally have a hard time being mean to children. But it is acceptable to deny health care to others who are less sympathetic.

I think it is a purely political calculation. It would be worse if he believes some people deserve health care and some do not. it is hard to tell with him.

[Occam Bandage]

17. Obama is not talking about "denying" care to anyone. Nobody is "denied."

Rather, he recognizes that mandates are not enforceable; either they're toothless or draconian.

[prolesunited]

20. Yes, I clearly heard him state

people without health insurance can just die. :eyes:

[mrreowwr_kittty]

22. There was a thread on here recently where it was claimed he wants to kill old people too.

Along with others in long term care.

Did you also know that he's a Muslim Manchurean candidate? :eyes:

[ingac70]

9. You mean individual mandates like Hillary?

Forcing people to buy coverage that will only result in the insurance companies stealing by not delivering on what you pay for is scumabggery!

I'm sure the insurance companies LOVE her idea.

[cjmastaw]

10. You cannot Mandate health insurance

you cannot force people to get health insurance. they will resist. It doesn't work; you'll piss off too many people.

You give them a choice, and make it as affordable as possible, and they will choose to get it.

Hillary is using funny numbers... big surprise. His plan doesn't leave out anyone who doesn't want it.

Hers on the other hand, fines people if they cannot afford it, and then they still don't end up with insurance, because it's cheaper to pay the fine.

Her version has been tried already and FAILED!

[rinsd]

15. Obama's plan mandates children and fines families who do not comply.

So why is it ok to fine families but not the childless?

[Angela Shelley]

13. I cannot speak for Barack Obama,

but I can offer my reasoning based on the threads at DU:

There are still too many people in this country who are looking for someone else to take care of the other peoples´ problems.

A nationwide health care program entails "sharing the responsibility for others" and there aren´t enough people in this country who care enough about the rest of the population to "share".

Everyone loves their country, but they could care less about their countrymen.

[shaniqua6392]

16. I am not sure he will get anything done on health care.

We shall see, but I think he is much more corporate than he lets on. That is why he is not willing to go against the insurance companies and drug makers. Just my opinion, of course. Now all the Obama worshipers can flame away.....I just have a feeling we are getting a snow job from him. Time will tell.

[prolesunited]

19. And given Hillary's track record

why would anyone believe she will be able to.

[shaniqua6392]

26. Because she tried to do it years ago,

but was not powerful enough at the time. I just believe she will be able to finally help America achieve this goal if she gets into the White House. Obama may be able to do it also, but I think his plan has flaws.

[prolesunited]

18. People don't like being told what they can and cannot do

Just look how much debate surrounds the no smoking in public places mandate causes here on DU.

Making it affordable is much more likely to win bipartisan support than forcing a mandate, which will be much easier to keep from passing as people are scared by the specter of big government and the nanny state.

[mrreowwr_kittty]

21. Ahem, both plans are "political"

If this were about really doing the right thing morally and philosophically, ALL of our candidates would be touting universal single payer coverage like Kucinich.

Neither Clinton nor Obama are cutting the insurance companies out of the system.

But Clinton is creating a potential political disaster with these mandates.

They are the new Death Tax. On steroids.

[agdlp]

23. Obama has madates for kids..:-)

[Perky]

27. It is political calculation designed to allowed moderate republican to get on board

A plan that mandates will have a harder tume getting through Congress.

[Jed Dilligan]

29. A little of both

I certainly don't want the government to order me to purchase products from a private corporation.

[cooolandrew]

33. I think mandatory is too pushy, I think it's more a freedom of choice thing some may wish to keep..

...private insuracne.

[Vinca]

34. Because you can't get water out of a rock.

Some people will not be able to afford it and to penalize them monetarily will only make matters worse. That's why lots of Massachusetts people migrated to southern New Hampshire. Universal health care should be just that: CARE. Both Hillary and Obama (who I support) are totally wrong on this issue. The insurance companies need to go. Both candidates are pushing universal health insurance, not health care. Neither has an advantage on this issue.