Question regarding mandates and healthcare.

[rinsd]

If you had a public health option would you refuse to sign up for it because it was mandated rather than if it was simply offered?

[Zachstar]

1. Fixing healthcare is done through ideas and innovation not mandates.

[rinsd]

3. Agreed if the mandate was the sole idea/innovation.

But the expansion of public health plans in both funding & eligibility coupled with new public health offerings are certainly a step in the right direction.

As is tying premium payments to income, modernizing record keeping, stressing preventative care etc etc.

[depakid]

4. LOL -well, single payer healthcare is about as big a mandate as there is

the only questions are how it's funded- and how much to include in a basic benefits package.

[gateley]

2. I voted Single Payer Now

because I strongly believe that we as a nation should rank among those who have better health care (!).

But to answer your question, I'd sign up for it whether it was mandated or not.

Although I think I understand the reasoning behind this, I don't know one person who didn't sign up for health care if they could afford it. Not one.

[rinsd]

5. I too am a single payer supporter.

"Although I think I understand the reasoning behind this, I don't know one person who didn't sign up for health care if they could afford it. Not one."

I know it seems so logical. But at the same time we have helmet & seatbelt laws even though logic says they should be a no brainer.

My point is that if public plans are affordable enough, a mandate is not gonna prevent you from signing up.

[cbayer]

6. I think the word mandate is misleading.

The Clinton plan requires that everyone participate for it to work. I see that as the first step to a single payer system. Mandate is being read as an order to comply or you will be punished.

We should move away from that word and start talking about universal participation in any proposed plan. People need to understand that this will not work if young, healthy people don't participate because they don't need it and don't anticipate needing it. If you let people wait until they are sick, the entire program becomes a farce.

There is also a gross mis-understanding about the Clinton plan "mandating" that you buy insurance from a private insurance company, and that needs to be dispelled as well.

[rinsd]

7. Your 3rd point comes up quite often and is bascially an outright lie.