Heath Care Reform Is DOA

The Heath Care Reform bill looks doomed judging by the way the Conservative SCOTUS justices have questioned the Solicitor General on the individual mandate provision. The individual mandate is the heart and soul of the bill and if found unconstitutional, Obama Care, I mean Romney Care will go down in flames.

The crux of the argument against the individual mandate is that healthy young people should not be required to buy health insurance. I can’t speak for all young people, but I don’t know many who have the funds to pay for a broken leg, or ruptured appendix with their debit card, which is what they would face if they had no insurance. It is a risk that only the wealthiest of the healthiest could afford to take. I think we are talking about the 1% here, the rarest of Americans who could pay out of pocket for a year long bout of mononucleosis, or a case of Rocky Mountain spotted fever or worse the Bubonic Plague (there have been incidents reported in the Southwest) or a horrific car accident with multiple life threatening injuries.

Were there no individual mandate, what happens to those who chose not to be insured and find they can’t pay the costs of a sudden illness or emergency treatment?  Will they be turned away at the emergency room?  Will they pay with their own lives?  Everyone loses in the end – insurance premiums go up and so will taxes, much to the dismay of the wealthiest who are not accustomed to paying their fare share.

Why would anyone object to to everyone being in the insurance pool so that the risks are spread out, and the costs controlled benefiting all?  The short of it is that some in the GOP and maverick independents, just don’t care about anyone but themselves.  Any sort of social contract in their view is evil.  Privatize they say.  Let the “free” market take care of everything.  Live and let die.