Nelson and Reid Reach a Deal: Game Over

[Associate Justice PiT]

     So this bill makes it a crime to not have health insurance? Can't say I like that idea much, though I guess it makes practical sense.

[Associate Justice PiT]

     So this bill makes it a crime to not have health insurance? Can't say I like that idea much, though I guess it makes practical sense.

Yeah but I don't think anyone is getting put in jail for this. They will just be taxed more and if they don't pay that they will face the same consequences you face anyways today for not paying taxes. And I must say this is one of the bills I really approve of. I am much more apprehensive about mandates on small businesses.

     Even if they are merely taxed at a higher rate (nevermind the tax load already suffered by the lowest earners) rather than prison time, isn't that still just punishing someone for a victimless crime?

[Associate Justice PiT]

     So this bill makes it a crime to not have health insurance? Can't say I like that idea much, though I guess it makes practical sense.

Yeah but I don't think anyone is getting put in jail for this. They will just be taxed more and if they don't pay that they will face the same consequences you face anyways today for not paying taxes. And I must say this is one of the bills I really approve of. I am much more apprehensive about mandates on small businesses.

     Even if they are merely taxed at a higher rate (nevermind the tax load already suffered by the lowest earners) rather than prison time, isn't that still just punishing someone for a victimless crime?

This is not punishment, rather incentives. If we are going to force insurance companies to cover those with pre-existing conditions, we must make sure people can't just not have insurance until they need it. If we did that the sick would have to pay extremely high premiums. Individual mandates are the right and fair thing to do and it exists in most western countries. And means tested subsidies will be available to those who can't afford it so it's not as if people would have to choose between health insurance and other necessities.

     A negative incentive perhaps, but it's not like rampant tax cuts are acceptable without rampant spending cuts. Tort reform would also be important to help control health care costs, though I don't know if that's being addressed.

[Associate Justice PiT]

     So this bill makes it a crime to not have health insurance? Can't say I like that idea much, though I guess it makes practical sense.

Yeah but I don't think anyone is getting put in jail for this. They will just be taxed more and if they don't pay that they will face the same consequences you face anyways today for not paying taxes. And I must say this is one of the bills I really approve of. I am much more apprehensive about mandates on small businesses.

     Even if they are merely taxed at a higher rate (nevermind the tax load already suffered by the lowest earners) rather than prison time, isn't that still just punishing someone for a victimless crime?

This is not punishment, rather incentives. If we are going to force insurance companies to cover those with pre-existing conditions, we must make sure people can't just not have insurance until they need it. If we did that the sick would have to pay extremely high premiums. Individual mandates are the right and fair thing to do and it exists in most western countries. And means tested subsidies will be available to those who can't afford it so it's not as if people would have to choose between health insurance and other necessities.

     A negative incentive perhaps, but it's not like rampant tax cuts are acceptable without rampant spending cuts. Tort reform would also be important to help control health care costs, though I don't know if that's being addressed.

I wish they took on tort reform, but the democrats won't since they are beholden to their lawyer donors. But then again they are also beholden to drug companies, insurance companies, doctors, hospitals etc etc. Maybe if Republicans take over congress, Obama and them can get some tort reform done. It's not a very large part of the costs in the system, but it is something that needs to be tackled.

     FWIW, I don't think that health care reform is a hill worth dying on, though I think that things can & should be done to make the process more libertarian, such as making any public option that may be created function as a genuine competitor & pushing tort reform.