RE: RE: Mandating Health Insurance

There seem to be two nearly universal constants these days. First, The Winston-Salem Journal is going to publish some kind of collectivist tripe without a by-line, and second, Strother is going to post it on the BP and offer it as having some merit.

In my opinion, any plan that a US state has adopted as a solution to such a large problem does have 'some merit,' and is at least worth consideration as well as an in-depth discussion of the plan's details.

But in your haste to tear apart the Mass. 'collectivist' plan, you conveniently glossed over my main point. The fact is that the cost of uninsured patients — many of who become partial or full-on deadbeats — at the hospitals you and I depend on is being paid for by us. And day by day, it's getting worse.

The whole article is predicated on some assumed "crisis" that has not been proven in any way to actually exist.

Oh, really? Steve, you surprise me. I didn't think that you were the type to stick your head in the sand. Or maybe the problem simply doesn't concern you. You tell me.

I've personally heard from reliable sources that one out of four babies born at a local hospital aren't covered by insurance — 25 percent! Of course it wouldn't be right to simply turn those pregnant mothers away, but how many of those costly tabs will be absorbed by those who have the means to pay their bills or have comprehensive insurance plans?