Every American citizen is now required to help make insurance corporations richer. Enjoy!

[phleshdef]

147. "You are a deadbeat that doesn't want to buy insurance."

I don't really think that or know that of course, but you double dared me, so I had to do it.

Now that we have that cleared up...

You asked who "they" were, as if you didn't know. It was painfully obvious that I was referring to people who would rather pay the alternative tax or find that to be the more affordable option. Regardless, everyone who is uninsured, not poor enough for medicaid and not old enough for medicare is a potential liability on the system in terms of emergency room care. Because we require emergency rooms to treat people to a certain degree (as we SHOULD require), then there has to be some kind of accountability. I'm not saying its perfect and there should probably be some tweaking to the requirements for the tax and I imagine there will be many tweaks as this is implemented. Regardless, its a logical way to approach the situation. I don't believe uninsured people are deadbeats. But I believe that everyone who is able to contribute to the system, should contribute to the system. This is one mechanism that is aimed towards making that happen.

Having said that, of course I think there should be a public option added to the system. Even better, we should go full on single payer. But until the legislative and political climate is in place to allow for such things, I'll take this approach and all the other life saving measures that come with the whole of the ACA over what we've had any day.