Sometimes it seems like there is no end to the “Audacity of Dope.”
This story appeared in the Los Angeles Times this morning. It talks about how one of the plaintiffs in Florida who is suing the Federal Government over the health insurance mandate had recently filed for bankruptcy, caused in part by…you guessed it…unpaid medical bills.
The full story is here: Health Care Plaintiff Files for Bankruptcy
Imperfect as the health insurance mandate is, it does illustrate the rationale behind it and the public policy objectives that it meets. It certainly magnifies the argument about why everyone needs affordable access to health care: according to one of the folks in the article, 62% of all personal bankruptcies are caused by unpaid medical bills.
And, ironically, to prevent this type of situation without mandating health insurance, you will end up arguing that a single-payer or “Medicare for All” system is the logical conclusion. Otherwise, you’ll need to argue – as the Republicans do, implicitly and explicitly – that if you can’t afford needed care, just go broke and die so society doesn’t need to fuss over you anymore. Don’t be surprised if this comes into play more prominently in the fall.