- #1
CAC1001
So I was discussing the issue of healthcare with a friend, and he pointed out something I hadn't thought of, but that I think makes sense---basically, he emphasized how Ronald Reagan signed legislation that made it where hospitals are mandated to treat a person if they are taken into the hospital, regardless of whether they have health insurance or not. And the American people would likely never support repealing such a law. Nor should it be I think. However, as Milton Friedman was fond of saying, "There is no such thing as a free lunch."
He said one of the reasons healthcare costs are increasing is because too many people without insurance use the hospital system. He said the mandate of the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) is one of the ways the system will pay for itself. You mandate everyone has health insurance (as many of those who don't lack it due to choice), and most of the people who would then go into a hospital would have insurance. There would still be a few who did not due to legitimately not being able to afford it, but those ones the system would be able to subsidize.
Now personally, I disagree with the idea of a mandate for Constitutional reasons (I would prefer it be a tax). But if say the AFA is shot down (say by the SCOTUS), would a healthcare tax be a decent replacement policy at least? For example, create a tax to pay for the hospital system, but then make it where if you purchase health insurance, you are exempted from paying the tax?
This would not be a "universal healthcare program," but it would at least provide a way for the hospital system to be able to pay for the services it provides.
He said one of the reasons healthcare costs are increasing is because too many people without insurance use the hospital system. He said the mandate of the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) is one of the ways the system will pay for itself. You mandate everyone has health insurance (as many of those who don't lack it due to choice), and most of the people who would then go into a hospital would have insurance. There would still be a few who did not due to legitimately not being able to afford it, but those ones the system would be able to subsidize.
Now personally, I disagree with the idea of a mandate for Constitutional reasons (I would prefer it be a tax). But if say the AFA is shot down (say by the SCOTUS), would a healthcare tax be a decent replacement policy at least? For example, create a tax to pay for the hospital system, but then make it where if you purchase health insurance, you are exempted from paying the tax?
This would not be a "universal healthcare program," but it would at least provide a way for the hospital system to be able to pay for the services it provides.
Last edited by a moderator: