Health Insurance Mandates

[cushla_machree]

My state (rhode island) is coming up with a plan to address the health insurance crisis, and they are planning on modeling if after Massachusetts plan.

Of course they are looking into mandates, requiring everyone to have coverage. I believe Hillary made mention of something similar to this. I am all for giving acess to everyone, but why does the resolution have to be forcing people to purchase health insurance? If you don't, the idea most thrown around is to lose a deduction on your state income tax.

My Question is, why should the public be forced to pay into private insurance? All of these 'affordable' plans are just high deductible ones, the plans outlined in Massachusetts have horrible emergency room co-pays (20% on many of them). And if you cannot afford to pay, the idea is to have the state subsidize your care. So my second question is, why should our public tax dollars subsidize the million dollar profits of private insurance?

Why should we waste our money on sub-par plans? Why is insurance still tied to employment? Why can't we all pay into a public plan and all have equal care? What is it about Americans that we won't move away from private health insurance???