Frightening Health-Care Fascism

[Leopolds Ghost]

Edwards' truly universal health care plan will ensure that every American has health insurance. He will require proof of insurance when income taxes are paid and when health care is provided. Families without insurance will be enrolled in Medicare, Medicaid, SCHIP or another targeted plan or be assigned a plan within new Health Care Markets.

Families who lose coverage will be expected to enroll in another plan or be assigned one. For the few people who refuse to pay, the government will help collect back premiums with interest and collection costs by using tools like the ones it uses for student loans and taxes, including collection agencies and wage garnishment.

http://johnedwards.com/issues/health-care/20071128-health-care-mandate

I was very sympathetic to Edwards populism until I read this.

Is this corporate fascism (reminiscent of a right-wing version of
Huey Long or National Socialism) what Dems have in mind when they say
universal health care?

If the other candidates are (undoubtedly) worse on this issue
and even more pro-corporate, I won't vote in the fall.

I do not wish to be mandated to become a customer of for-profit
privately owned insurance. What do you think would happen to your
dry-cleaning bill if the government required you to pick one of a
list of private, for-profit dry-cleaners and get your slacks pressed
there bi-weekly, as they do for, say, members of the military?

[stellanoir]

1. What of those who much prefer to be uninsured because we pay out of pocket

for alternative preventative medicine and respond better to it than western allopathic medicine's pharmaceutical and surgical approaches.

We will be totally screwed and I truly hope this will not transpire.

[Leopolds Ghost]

3. What about those of us who are marginally employed and are ALREADY being "garnished"

and called by collection agencies For student loans.

At least the student loan companies are federal monopolies that aren't
allowed to profit-take. The health insurance industry is all about profit.

I can't afford health insurance, point blank.

And many small businesses can't afford to enforce this
plan without reducing their employee's wages to financially
benefit the insurance companies on the "list".

A smorgasbord of "last resort" programs is offered for those
who can overcome hurdles to get into them and get meager
benefits compared to the for-profit, gouging, fascist government
supported and government chartered insurance industry which
the rest of America is required by law to be a customer.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

4. And Kucinich is the only candidate who supports alternatives

Plus he's for NON-PROFIT insurance. Only way to go.

[Fridays Child]

2. To Edwards, Obama, and Clinton, I have one thing to say...

HR 676

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

5. Amen!!!!!! n/t

[LWolf]

6. I'll say that with you: HR 676. n/t

[elehhhhna]

7. many, many employers will drop coverage if this happens.

We'll be screwn/

[Leopolds Ghost]

8. The Kucinich supporters are up in arms about Obama not supporting this awful plan

To garnish the wages of fellow working class Kucinich supporters
for refusing (for whatever reason) to sign up for a private, for-profit
health care insurance policy.

Oops, I forgot, most of these so-called "progressives" who want a
mixed economy imposed by fiat, to replace laissez-faire with
a direct partnership between big business and government like you
have in Europe, with all the advantages that entails for the elite --
are upper-middle class.