This page was last updated on March 7, 2017.
Should health care be government-mandated?; Glenn Collins, Sr. (GC); Beaver County Times; March 5, 2017.
This is my first review of a GC letter.
Below is a detailed critique of the subject letter.
“Frank (a composite fictional character) would be among those who loved President Donald Trump’s speech. Especially when he said the government should never mandate health care coverage.”
[RWC] President Trump’s (DT) actual words were, “Mandating every American to buy government-approved health insurance was never the right solution for our country. The way to make health insurance available to everyone is to lower the cost of health insurance, and that is what we are going do.”
Citizens cannot be dependent on their government for medical needs and remain free.
“Frank railed against the Affordable Care Act. Frank was a skilled debater. His habits gave him plenty of time to study. Well educated, he had a promising, but short, opera career. Alcohol and drugs killed his infant career. He never kept a full-time job. He could tickle the ivories. He sometimes got work as a stand-in pianist for a desperate band. The bass in his voice diminished but he could still belt out a few tunes in a gravelly voice that would touch your heart.
“He died at age 35 in 2014. He had been homeless for a couple of years. Cancer got him admitted to a hospital and an apartment in public housing for the elderly and infirm. The chemotherapy and drugs stopped his drinking. He never saw the flaw in his thinking about Obamacare. All of his medical costs were paid by the state or us. He never accepted the fact that he was mandating us to pay for his health care.”
[RWC] A free market represents the best approach to providing the best combination of healthcare accessibility, choice, price, quality, timeliness of treatment, et cetera. That said, no approach – either private or public – is perfect and some people won’t be able to afford healthcare or healthcare insurance regardless of price.
Other than not sharing GC’s position, what was “the flaw in [Frank’s] thinking about Obamacare?”
GC himself “never saw the flaw in his [own] thinking about Obamacare.” The first challenge to the constitutionality of Obamacare to reach the Supreme Court was “National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius.” As bad as this decision was even if it were limited to Obamacare, its potential for damage down the road is even worse. The effect of the decision is the federal government can force individuals to purchase anything as long as the law – or the Supreme Court - calls the penalty for noncompliance a tax.
“I know the Republicans will replace Obamacare with a better plan. They know how to take care of the Franks who cannot pay for health insurance. We, the state, shouldn’t have to pay. President Trump said the government should not mandate anyone to pay for health insurance.”
[RWC] I’m missing something. How would forcing Frank to purchase medical insurance have changed anything? The Frank GC described would not have been able to afford medical insurance.
Ignoring constitutionality, there have to be a bunch of ways “to take care of the Franks who cannot pay for health insurance” without screwing over the rest of us.
Do I believe people who need help because of unforeseen circumstances should get it? Of course, but via private charities funded by voluntary contributions.
© 2004-2017 Robert W. Cox, all rights reserved.