[dude1394]

Originally Posted by kg_veteran

I think a more reasonable solution would have been (and is) to call welfare by its real name, and simply expand the eligibility parameters for government programs like Medicaid and CHIP. That would help those who truly cannot afford health insurance to do so. Instead, a bunch of people who don't need or want complete coverage will be forced to purchase it under the auspices that they are "paying into the system". Of course, it will be impossible to collect enough to pay for health care this way, which means that they will either: a) reduce benefits, b) increase taxes on top of the mandated health insurance premiums to subsidize "the system", or c) (the most likely outcome) both.

Certainly that would have been a more reasonable solution but only if you were not coming at the problem wanting to have the government control all healthcare in the first place. That is what was wanted.

Actually what will really occur is that they will continue to squeeze insurance companies until they get out...then the guvment will step in and provide the single-payer that they want in the first place. The first step is to get something passed, then begin to change it.