MANDATORY HEALTH CARE
(Posted 2010-12-13 17:54:46 by ArchPaladin)

I find it particularly interesting how the "Obamacare" healthcare bill has
been portrayed in the media and in public opinion.  Particularly now that
it's getting to the courts [
http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/12/13/health.care/index.html ] [cnn.com].

I refrained from commenting on this before because I hadn't quite figured
out my opinions on it.  Even now I have mixed feelings.  But one thing I do
know is that a large portion of the bill has been entirely overlooked, and
could help to put what does get publicized in better perspective.

From what I understand, a large part of the bill is meant to ensure that
health insurance providers cannot deny coverage to an individual based on
any pre-existing condition that would require (or strongly suggest) their
need for healthcare in the future.  The classic example of this is that you
don't want health insurance carriers refusing to provide health insurance
to an individual with a genetic abnormality, because that person will have
no other way of paying their medical bills when it comes time to collect.

So the law is meant to put an end to this.  But if this was all it did,
then the health insurance providers would just increase their premiums to
pass the costs off to the consumers, which of course we also don't want
because health insurance costs are high already.  More unregulated cost
increases would lead to two outcomes: all the generally healthy people
forgoing getting insurance because of the cost, and generally ill people
being left with crushing medical expenses.

So the way the bill-writers decided to address this was via a two-pronged
approach - (1) require everyone to get health insurance, and (2) have some
"public option" type provider that would sell health insurance at a set
cost so that other insurance providers couldn't just arbitrarily raise
their rates without becoming uncompetitive.

Up until that last point nobody has any problems with the bill.  But as
soon as some people realize that they have to front some costs in order for
everyone to get medical care, things start to get ugly and shouting
commences.

I just don't understand this behavior or response.  As a Christian, should
I not be concerned with the welfare of my fellow man?  Are people acting
this way because they don't understand that this law was meant to keep
insurance companies from screwing over people who have no control over
their health, or do they realize it and just not care?

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