General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: The individual mandate: I and others warned that this was coming, too. [View all]freshwest
(53,661 posts)Last edited Sun Sep 30, 2012, 01:59 AM - Edit history (1)
Out of an income less than $20K/year. Am I missing something? Is it time to panic or not?
Isn't a single payer program literally an individual mandate? If everyone is paying, singly, paying, isn't that a mandate on individuals?
I would like to see a program such as Europe has, where it seems to be 'free' to go to the doctor. But it isn't free. They pay income taxes and they don't scream for blood to water the tree of liberty because of it. They accept it as part of the social contract.
Some pay a lot, others don't, but they pay taxes, and the government finances healthcare from income taxes, not premiums. But there is no free healthcare. Insurance is not healthcare. it's a way of financing it, which Europe does with income taxes.
Are those complaining about the price of premiums for insurance ready to pay higher taxes? Our for-profit system sucks, and always has.
Conyers introduced HR 676, which is 'Medicare for all,' and he even terms it as 'single payer.'
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10021439126#post5
We don't have enough Democratic power to get it done right now, but might if we don't give in to the Randians and let them make everyone go after each other. But nothing's free. Never.