If you want health insurance to be optional,

[busymom]

then will you be okay with giving up your right to have access to the healthcare plan (without being 100% financially responsible for yourself) in the case that you become sick or injured when you are not on a plan....even if this means you will become bankrupt or worse...not getting care?

[busymom]

1. bumping because I'm curious...

Many are vehemently opposd to being required to carry healthcare insurance...but they will be the ones to demand coverage if they get sick.

[busymom]

7. bumping again...

all I hear is "no freaking way" "Not Hillary's way" "No one is going to mandate health insurance premiums for me"

really? and it is different in countries with universal coverage how?

[lumberjack_jeff]

2. 90% of americans are not okay with persons not getting necessary care.

It isn't a matter of individuals taking on the life-or-death risk of consciously not insuring themselves, it's that few of the people around them will let them suffer the consequences of that decision.

No one can choose whether others will act in a charitable fashion.

[busymom]

3. The thing is....

it simply is not right for the rest of us to be paying in to the system and for others who opt not to to then be eligible for the same benefits.

It also will NOT bring healthcare costs down, because in the end, we will still have to pay for the uninsured/underinsured.

The big newsflash here is that so many people are screaming for a single payer system without realizing that in countries where that exists, every individual has to pay into that as well...and the govt. mandates that everyone do it...and they also decide what you can afford.

[lumberjack_jeff]

4. The only fix is universal coverage "universal" = "compulsory". n/t

[RC]

5. But on the flip side "EVERYONE" is covered.

Not just those that have jobs, whatever covers the definition of a job now a days. We need to catch up with the rest of the world and get the government involved in Health Care for all of its citizens.

Not just health care for those that can swing it somehow.

Stop bu$h's War, Stop the cooperate welfare and there would be plenty of money for health care for the citizens that are now footing the bill for bu$h's War and corporate welfare.

[busymom]

6. How would you feel about

having private healthcare plans but govt. help/subsidies for those on the lower end of the income scale to be able to buy in?

[RC]

8. The problem is the for profit private insurance companies.

Get them out of the equation.