All of the talk about "tax reform" overlooked that the Obama Care mandate was killed by the US Congress. No more mandate or no more penalty for not buying health insurance.
Scott Rasmussen, once of Rasmussen Reports, has a great post about Obama Care and consumers:
Last year, an estimated 15 million Americans would have dropped out of Obamacare if they could. Now they can. Another 6.5 million paid a fine rather than sign up for coverage. This means that more than 20 million people directly benefit from the repeal of the mandate.Killing the mandate did not repeal Obama Care but it was a huge head start. Like Mr. Rasmussen points out, you will now see Congress, and hopefully state legislatures, move in the direction of letting people "choose" what type of health insurance they want to buy.
Most of these people would prefer to buy insurance that meets their needs, but the Obamacare mandate did more than say that people had to buy insurance. It said they had to buy a very comprehensive and expensive set of benefits. Especially for young people, it was often far more insurance than they needed and far more costly than they could afford.
The reality is that there is no one-size-fits-all solution to health insurance. Different people have different needs and preferences.
This reality will create a demand for a variety of insurance options to meet a variety of needs. Some people will prefer more comprehensive coverage and higher premiums. Others will opt for less coverage and lower premiums. All will be covered against catastrophic events but day-to-day coverage will vary.
Choice. What a great idea!
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