Mandates are the absolute worst thing in the world!

[rinsd]

That is what I keep hearing from Obama supporters trashing Hillary & Edwards healtcare plans.

Yet Obama includes a mandate for children's healthcare

All 3 plans do heavy subsidizing of the poor so no one will be forced to spend beyond their means.

Only 1 plan allows those who can afford it anyway to opt out.

So which is it?

Are mandates horrible or are they ok when only Saint Obama does it?

[sandnsea]

1. Children are cheap to cover, we already have SCHIP

we already know how to provide inexpensive coverage as many states are doing it, and children can't make their own choice about health care.

Mandates BEFORE all the economic details are worked out is the worst thing in the world. And no, Hillary does not have the same kind of subsidy assistance as Obama, she relies more on tax credits than subsidies.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

2. Single payer non profit health care

is the only way to go.

[no name no slogan]

3. No, UNFUNDED mandates are the worst thing in the world

i.e., telling a government agency they HAVE to do something without providing the necessary funding for them to do so. For example, providing corporate subsidized insurance without levying the funds to do so.

I've worked in government. Mandates are no big deal. UNFUNDED mandates are a major pain in the ass.

[mrreowwr_kittty]

4. Children don't have a choice.

Adults in MA are choosing to pay the fines rather than buy the mandated insurance. How is that helping?

[rinsd]

5. Why is the mandate less of a burden on families?

That seems to be the line of argument.

That a mandated burden on the childless married or single is a horrible burden.

But for the roughly 9 million uninsured that burden is non existent?

[mrreowwr_kittty]

7. That's not the argument.

The argument is that a lot of those people will simply not comply with the mandate. The MA health plan has a really high noncompliance rate right now.

Auto insurance, which everyone has to have, has a high rate of noncompliance. 15% of the drivers on the road don't have it. If you assume that rate for a fully-implemented mandated health care program, that leaves millions uninsured. That's why it's bogus to say that mandated plans don't leave people out. Sure they do.

[mrreowwr_kittty]

6. Mandates are POLITICAL SUICIDE

This cannot be stressed enough. This is a bigtime election loser for us and Obama realizes it.

Think about how the estate tax was turned into the "Death Tax". I still find myself explaining to people that, no, you're not going to be affected by it if your estate is not worth millions.

Mandates are the Death Tax on steroids.