Travis Roach
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Healthcare in America

3/26/2012

 
One of the most widely debated and polarizing topics lately has been "Obamacare." This blogpost from the Economist describes what will be happening in the Supreme Court over the next few days with relation to the healthcare law. In this article I want you to read the introduction and the section titled - "Tuesday: The Individual Mandate." How could this law affect you as college students? If you are against the bill, could you provide an argument in favor of the bill?

Potential current events question: One of the goals of the individual mandate is to lower healthcare costs - using either supply/demand or the concept of moral hazard, explain why this will or will not work 
Jacob Page link
3/29/2012 04:12:28 am

First off, the Government should not have this much control over us. Secondly, if this passes, we will find out that going to the doctor will be alot like how VA hospitals are. It takes a couple of months to get an appointment and when you do have an appointment you will be waiting for at least 3 hours to get seen. I am against ObamaCare

R10449686 link
4/8/2012 12:50:37 pm

I totally agree with you. Having been to the doctors office recently for a simple check up, I had an appointment and did not get seen until about an hour later. Also, when trying to make my appointment, I had to call months in advance to get an appointment that worked for my schedule. ObamaCare will just make this problem even worse. Along with many other factors, may I mention.

R10480114
4/2/2012 04:01:00 am

I am against Obamacare, congress should not be given the power to regulate economic inactivity. Like the article said if this mandate is passed who knows what congress might force us into buying. College students would see increases in their costs due to the requirement of buying health insurance, if they are not on their parents health insurance already. If you read a little further down, there's a part I find quite humorous. The health reform's success falls entirely on this mandate, it was to be used to keep the deficit from increasing while achieving near universal health coverage. I don't agree with the idea that all the weight should be shifted onto the shoulders of the healthy and those who can afford health insurance solely to make it more affordable for those who cannot.

R104555834
4/11/2012 10:06:51 am

In reguards to moral hazard, the health insurance mandate will absolutely increase everyones medical costs. People who are obese, smokers or live generally risky lifestyles will automatically be covered therefore they face fewer consequences than they do in the current system. Although most people do not think about insurance concerning their daily activities those who are deemed uninsurable will surely make the costs for everyone go up.

R10379616
4/12/2012 11:39:31 am

I agree that cost will increase do to people being covered under insurance that have costly and reoccurring health problems. I insurance companies are forced to insure everyone hospital can increase cost and gain revenue on these ill Americans.

R10359949
4/12/2012 09:05:05 am

I personally am against mandated healthcare. I am also against the requirement to wear a seatbelt, and see these two areas as similar examples of breaches of basic rights. If an individual wishes to abstain from purchasing healthcare, under Obamacare you're breaking the law (as with the choice to wear or to not wear a seatbelt). I understand that many individuals in this country simply cannot afford healthcare, and unfortunately some of these individuals are the ones who need it most, often because they are poverty-stricken and suffer from low-income related sickness and malnutrition. I do understand this claim, and can see pros and cons of each side. I personally have a desire for limited government interaction regarding individual rights.

10410186
4/12/2012 11:10:44 am

I am against Obamacare. I believe the government should not stick their noses in american business. Believe it or not, the medical field is a huge industry. The government does not have any business in private industries.

R10462776
4/12/2012 12:14:26 pm

I do belive that the health care system in the USA needs to be overhauled. However, "ObamaCare" is not the answer. Every one who drives (at least in the state of Texas) is required to carry car insurance. If you can't provide some sort of coverage, then you can't drive. ObamaCare has a mandate that every one has to buy some sort of health insurance or else you would get fined. I think the idea was that if every one bought into it, then health prices would go down. In theory, it may work but in practice (as in car insurance) it doesn't work at all. Also we don't have** to drive a vehicle. However we do have to live...

R10435313
4/12/2012 05:36:26 pm

Coming from a country where socialized healthcare is in place for a very long time already (Germany), I can confirm some of the fears people have about Obamacare. With healthcare becoming effectively cheaper for the consumers, people will use it a lot more and you would have to make appointments with specialists months in advance and u will usually still have to wait for hours to see the doctor... I dont see a moral hazard as far as carelesness is concerned, as your health is nothing you put at risk more easily just out of economic considerations. Its not a material thing you could replace. If something has to be done about healthcare the government should think about how to control comparatively outrageous prices for health treatments in the US.


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