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Originally Posted by LAblondeGPhi
What I would ideally like to see is a universal healthcare system that ensures a basic, free, level of coverage for all Americans, administered through a combination of private and public entities. For those who want a faster or fancier policy, they can purchase it, or have their employer provide it as part of a compensation package.
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Amen and amen! And as you note, universal healthcare does not have to mean single-payer.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ghostwriter
So now I/you can be taxed for something we do not do or do not consume. I.E. - buy health insurance.
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Well, if one is willing to sign a binding agreement that as long as he don't have health insurance he will pay-up front for all health care services -- including regular check-ups and preventive services that can cut down on the likelihood of more expensive services -- and that he will never ever expect services that would result in a cost to the health care system that he personally won't cover, then I have no problem waiving the penalty/tax/whatever-anyone-wants-to-call-it. Otherwise, he's part of the problem that's straining the healthcare system, and in turn the economy, to the limits. And otherwise, he
is being taxed for something he
will use: healthcare services.
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Originally Posted by PeppyGPhiB
Yes! I loved this part of Roberts' majority opinion: "[Justices] possess neither the expertise nor the prerogative to make policy judgments. Those decisions are entrusted to our Nation’s elected leaders, who can be thrown out of office if the people disagree with them. It is not our job to protect the people from the consequences of their political choices.”
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This is classic jurisprudence; the role of the courts in a case like this is not to pass on the wisdom of laws, much less the popularity of laws, but on the constitutionality of laws.
Meanwhile, I'm still shaking my head at the outrage of many on the Republican side, given that many of the aspects of Obamacare they're decrying as evil started out as Republican proposals.