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November 30, 2007

Comments

MayBee

How would this work with illegal aliens? I wonder.

MayBee

Well, yes - *if* insurance companies are not allowed to turn people away on the basis of pre-existing conditions, then only a fool would sign up for insurance before actually getting sick.

That observation is brilliant in light of this:
Well, John Edwards has just called Mr. Obama’s bluff, by proposing that individuals be required to show proof of insurance when filing income taxes or receiving health care. If they don’t have insurance, they won’t be penalized — they’ll be automatically enrolled in an insurance plan.

So if you go to an ER, you get treatment and a brand new insurance plan. I'm assuming they won't charge you a penalty before they treat you. So basically, you can get catastrophic coverage even if you've never paid any premiums.
Then, what happens if you let the policy they put you in lapse by refusing to pay your premiums? Next time you need health care you'll get it, right? Or does the insurance company you've dropped have to inform the government?

Annoying Old Guy

One could also pile on the driver's license analogy by pointing out that

1) Punishment: States are willing to remove the right to drive or even impose jail time for not obeying — let's see someone propose anything like that for not having health care.
2) One can chose to not drive and avoid the mandate legally. Such an action isn't free loading, unlike health care.

But, time spent pointing out obvious deficiencies in Krugman columns is time wasted.

clarice

If you jail people for not getting health insurance, taxpayers will still have to provide it.
What a plan!

Jor

This is Krugman's 2nd or 3rd column against some Obama plan. My own take is that lefty bloggers and columnists are much more lukewarm to Obama, and looking to nit-pick than readers of their blogs/column. The only reason I can think of is because Obama is trying to position himself as post-politics, which is very appealing to basically everyone except people too invested in politics (including bloggers, etc.).

On the republican side, the only equivalent I can think of is Huckabee. Even though I don't think I agree with him on any social issue he just seems 1000x saner than and less of a politician than the other candidates (excluding Ron Paul).

Least politician-like is probably my deciding citeria.

Paul Zrimsek

I've found that the best way to avoid appearing politician-like is not to run for office.

JohnD

Australia has a tax for this, 2.5% of your income to pay for universal insurance, and you opt out of it only if you have private insurance. If people don't pay income tax then they get the insurance anyway, so everyone is covered.

Jor

Paul, somebody has to do it. I rather it just not be someone who is going to make a career out of it. Which is what the current system is out to reward. Politicians are like prostitutes -- you can probably be a whore for a few years and still be a good person, but after 20 years of being a whore, you're rotten to the core.

Jor

Lincoln had one term in congress before becoming president and was well aware that politics is a disease that will slowly eat your morality and any sense of decency you have.

MikeNC

Krugman "gets stupid"? As if that is a new phenomenon.

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