Talk of insurance mandate growing

What a terrible idea! If 48 million American's cannot afford health insurance now, what makes them think requiring it will make the problem better? The only thing I can see this encouraging is more people will have no choice but to choose between insurance and dinner.

Congress should regulate the cost of health care. No more $800 doctor visits!

Note - this is Hillary Clinton's campaign model for health care. Didn't the American people reject her idea? Wasn't Obama's plan the "rave?" So much for that... turning his back on many number of issues lately he "promised."

I think it will be more likely a choice of health insurance or cell phone, internet access, cable tv, new rims for your car, flashy clothes, a new grill for your teeth etc.

After working in a low income neighborhood and seeing what choices people make to "have" instead of having health insurance....well...I have become a bit cynical.

In my experience....granted my experience has only been in Southern California and Southern Florida...I have yet to meet an uninsured patient who hasn't carried a cell phone with them. Last time I checked cell phone bills were running $100 a month. You can get HEALTH INSURANCE for less than that.

Only if you are a male under 25 years of age who has zero pre-existing conditions. And that rate will go up, quickly. The average health insurance policy for a family is $12,300 per year. (Hint, I'm an insurance agent.)

All right, I'm going to quote my father (63) on this one because I loved the sentiment. Per our recent phone conversation:
"We don't need INSURANCE, we need HEALTH CARE."

Take them out of the picture; they're the problem!!!! That's the issue that doesn't rest well with all of this. They're still being bargained with.
I'm still bummed I can't get Ralph Nader. Or somebody who can Honestly govern for the people. Throw all of these liars out.
Yeah, I know.......Not in my lifetime! Chicken sh**s.

You know, I've found a lot of brand-name jeans in good shape at Goodwill for $6 a pair. You'd never know I didn't buy them at the retail price.

I'm also one who HAS to have internet access. Yes, I use it for allnurses.com and such, but I work remotely on the computer. I have no choice. I make my money on the internet.

Not everything is as it appears...

I'd like to know where that insurance is that you're talking about for less than $100 a month unless it's that Billy Mays insurance crap on TV. When I shopped around independently for me (I'm 29, I weigh 119 pounds, around 5' 5", never smoked, exercise 6 days a week, etc.), it cost over $400 a month AND would not cover anything with my asthma, so my $300 a month drugs were going to be on top of the $400+ a month premium. Now I've been approved for Xolair for asthma, which is about $14,000 for my personal dosage of med per year. Why would I pay $400+ to cover everything but the one thing I NEED it to cover to keep me healthy and then my medicines on top of it, let alone an asthma exacerbation?

Anyway, I can see why people aren't running out to purchase health insurance. I wouldn't need it much except for my asthma.

You must have checked in the 1950s or something, because my health insurance - which covers mostly care for prevention - runs about $125 per month. I'm 21, 5'9'', non-smoker, 175 Ibs. That's just for me, that does not include my spouse.

Your father is a smart man, and you've nailed it---Washington's going about it ALL the wrong way. There is no way this nation will ever be able to afford to offer all its citizens a basic package of health care services until it takes the insurance industry out of the equation entirely. I'm dead serious. They've GOT TO GO!! And I really don't care where the multimillionaire CEOs end up when they lose their phony-baloney jobs making life-or-death decisions about people they never met, using medical assessment skills they never acquired.........as far as I'm concerned, they are 50% of what's wrong with healthcare in this country (the other 50% being the patchwork of plans with their separate reams of paperwork ).

I pay $47 a month through BCBS of Florida. Yes, it is only for major hospitalization with a $2500 deductible but it is what I need.

My stats, 40 years old, single father, history of HTN...I take a generic ACE and prior history of cancer....skin cancer removed. My son who is 7 gets the same level of coverage for another $47 month.

If I need immediate health services I visit a minute clinic, see an NP and pay $75 for the visit.

Check it out before you claim you NEED government socialized health care.

For less than the cost of a cell phone bill you can get major hospitalization and surgical insurance.

Don't believe me....bcbs.com and find your own quote

I was a health insurance agent for ten years. It's not a matter of me believing you or not. I looked up the policy you are talking about with BCBS of Florida. It's this plan or one very similar:

http://consumerdirect.bcbsfl.com/wps...df?MOD=AJPERES

It's inpatient hospitalization and surgery only. No outpatient care. No prescription coverage. It's one of those skimpy policies that makes people feel like they have coverage because there's a card in their wallet. It would cover a hospital stay leaving you with about $5000-$7500 in bills (deductible plus coinsurance), before you even get started on outpatient treatment or prescriptions. It's a plan made for bankruptcy court. But I do admire you for at least getting some coverage. Seriously, I do. (This is me being sincere)

There's a reason why your premium is so low: that policy won't cover the vast majority of medical bills.

Here's the only BCBS coverage I could obtain in my state, by the way:

http://www.azblue.com/pdfs/health-pl...abilityCvg.pdf

Because I have asthma and have a history of several surgeries, my monthly premium would be $1210. (34 year old female)

This is not unusual. Ask anyone with a history of health problems who has tried to get individual health insurance.

If I were nosy (don't answer) I'd ask when you got this policy and if you really answered every single question on the application completely. Are you sure? Those questions are worded how they are for a reason. Because insurance companies love to issue policies and take in premiums. But the first time there's a claim, they investigate your entire medical history looking for any reason to deny your claim and cancel your policy. That's how individual health insurance works in the US.