How Much Would You Pay For Mandated Health Insurance ?

People who are on COBRA right now are paying less than $200 a month. Comrade Obama can't realistically expect anyone else to pay more than that. ;D

 

You go visit Chef.

 

Really? When I had to get it, for three months when I started a new job I had to pay my normal co-pay plus the company's share just to keep my insurance. It was like $600 or something 10 years ago. It hurt.

 

I'm on COBRA right now. For a family plan, I'm paying about $430 per month for medical, dental and vision. And the government is basically just subsidizing my former employer's share. If not, I'd be paying even more.

 

I'm paying $150/month for health insurance through COBRA thanks to the "The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009" which enables me to only have to pay 35% of my regular COBRA amount for 9 months following unemployment, now extended to 15 months. Otherwise, my cost would be $411/month.

 

How much would I pay for mandated health insurance?

I would guess that it would be whatever is mandated.

But, since that part of health insurance reform hit the skids long ago, why not ask how many mandated wedgies I might get.

The answer is pretty much the same, and of equal relevance.

 

Why would you do that? But, honestly, I'm not sure. I believe you would still have to buy insurance as an individual, which would be much higher than getting it through your employer.

They can't do that. There is an employer mandate. They have to provide insurance or pay a penalty. If, somehow, they forced you to get insurance through the governement, why wouldn't you? Instead of being stuck with that employer's insurance or nothing, you would be able to choose between dozens of insurance companies on the exchange.

Again, why wouldn't you? If you get hurt during those 1-3 months without insurance, guess who pays? Me and everyone else through higher hospital bills to pay for people without insurance.

That's a pretty ironic statement seeing as how part of your taxes go toward paying for people who don't have insurance, some of whom could afford it but choose not to, sticking everyone else with the bill.

 

Aside from one freak knee injury, I haven't been to the doctor in about 4 years.

I recently got a new job, and didn't get Cobra. It was a risk, but the new insurance kicked in, I didn't get sick and it saved me a lot of money.

What if I don't want to buy insurance because I'm young and dumb and think I can get by without it for another 3-5 years?

 

Fine, Mustang. Don't buy it. But then you should be responsible for 100% of any medical expense you incur.

 

I did the same thing for years, so I shouldn't be criticizing.

Just keep in mind what a huge risk you're taking. Being healthy doesn't prevent someone from stepping off a curb wrong and breaking their ankle (happened to me), falling off a ladder, falling awkwardly and breaking your collarbone during a pickup game of football, or getting a piano dropped on their head, etc.

Health insurance is like any other insurance, if you don't use it, it seems like a waste of money. But when you need it...

 

I just love the argument that its unconstitutional for the government to mandate you buying health insurance.

Unless I'm forgetting something, in order to drive in most states, the vehicle you are driving has to be insured. I haven't seen any successful court challenges on that.

As for not having health insurance, I tried that once and then had some mysterious stomach bug that floored me for a year. Racked up over $5000 in medical bills.