Reply #22: I wish it were true but it's not

[IronLionZion]

Any insurance plan (including single-payer) depends on spreading the costs among a large random sample. Healthy people need to pay for the sick people. Wealthy people need to pay for the poor people. Edwards' plan is an honorable goal, but it will work too well. Sick and poor people will go to his plan. Uninsured and people with expensive conditions that private insurers won't cover will join his plan because they have nowhere else to go and he mandates it. People who are happy with their insurance will keep what they have.

So I predict Edwards' program will go bankrupt rather quickly from paying for all of this and his cost estimates are much lower than realistic (because of course he wants support for it). That doesn't mean it's a bad idea. It needs work to ensure there is enough funding.


Out of curiosity, does anyone know what happens to people who defy the mandate and don't get insurance? My girlfriend doesn't want insurance. She does Asian medicine and acupuncture so she would just treat herself. If I marry her, I would put her on my insurance but she won't do it on her own. And does anyone know how the mandate plans deal with illegal immigrants?