Friday, May 13, 2011

Mandates

I have seen a lot of discussion regarding mandates. Supporters of Obama's health care reform say mandates are good. Opponents of Romney's health care reform say all mandates are bad. I think the truth lies somewhere in the middle.

Ever since the so-called “War on Poverty,” the citizens of the United States of America have been seduced into an entitlement mentality, where instead of being responsible for ourselves, we allow, even expect, the government to provide for us.

There are all kinds of mandates that we comply with every day. When we go to the grocery store and pick up a gallon of milk, we are mandated to go to the register and pay for it. But when it comes to health care, there are those among us who think that it is acceptable to receive medical treatment and allow other tax payers to foot the bill.

Mitt Romney's intention in Massachusetts was for there to be a mandate for people to be responsible for paying for their health care. For most of us, we use health insurance to pay for our health care. There are people who have enough money to pay for their medical treatment without needing to go through the insurance industry. The liberals in the Massachusetts Congress over-rode Romney's veto which would have allowed people to provide proof of their ability to pay for their health care without using insurance, and instead put in the mandate that everyone purchase health insurance.

It is my opinion that the entitlement mentality that has become so prevalent in our society needs to be overcome, and replaced with a sense of personal responsibility, or in other words that people again rely on themselves. I have a self-imposed mandate to purchase health insurance so that I can make sure that I and my family have affordable access to preventive health care, and in case of a serious illness or accident, be able to pay for our health care. The people who think it is acceptable to have tax payers foot the bill for their medical treatment need a wake-up call. TAKE PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY!

Are there problems with the Massachusetts Health Care reform? Yes. People should be able to buy insurance plans that do not cover in vitro fertilization as well as other treatments that they don't need. People who can afford their medical treatment without purchasing insurance should be allowed to do so. But after all is said and done, Romney's health care reform was bold, innovative, and designed to address the specific needs of a specific state. Romney did not tackle health care reform until the budget deficit was corrected, and he did not raise taxes in order to pay for the reform. Romney's bill was 78 pages long, accessible to anyone, and transparent. Romney's health care reform received bi-partisan support, as well as support from nearly all special interest groups. The Massachusetts health-care reform continues to be popular in the state where it is in place. Finally, Romney's health care reform is within the constraints of the Massachusetts Constitution.

Getting back to the main topic, America is a great country, founded in principles of freedom. With freedom comes responsibility. There are people who seem to be willing to sacrifice their freedom in exchange for others (the government) taking on the responsibility. As we replace the entitlement mentality with personal responsibility, we can recapture freedom. The mandate that some on the far-right are complaining about is based on the idea that we are mandated to pay for services we receive. Not paying for services we receive is stealing.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Great post, Noelle. It's very simple, but some people refuse to see it.

-Martha

CraigS said...

What I don't get is all the conservative Flip Flops on this issue...and Romney's refusal to cave in to the loose lipped in the party, like
DeMint and the WSJ who favored mandates and health care before they were against it.
Too many flip flops based on the ideology de jure

CraigS

BOSMAN said...

Great post Noelle.

I added some graphics to help emphasize your points.

If you don't like them, feel free to delete.

Noelle said...

I like them Bos. Thanks.

OhioJOE said...

Mr. DeMint never supported mandates per se.

"There are all kinds of mandates that we comply with every day. When we go to the grocery store and pick up a gallon of milk, we are mandated to go to the register and pay for it." Ahh, but nobody mandates us to buy that milk in the first place. We do not have to buy White milk (which makes certain people sick,) we can buy soy milk, chocolate milk, rice milk or we can even buy juice. Further, we are even allowed to cross state lines to buy our food and drink.

Anonymous said...

The mandate is only a requirement that someone pay for healthcare services and not expect them paid by taxpayers. I'm trying to figure out what is wrong if a state does that. Clearly its not unconstitutional in Massachusetts.

Now either the individual pays directly out of their pocket, or pays indirectly by claiming on their insurance policy. But they pay. Please, we only want personal responsibility and when half a million people are draining the MA taxpayers, I see no harm in requiring their accountability. Not only no harm but I see great value.

Having insurance gives hope to the poor and afflicted. I know what being without insurance is like and its worrisome. If half a million people now pay for their own insurance its an improvement.

Lori*

CraigS said...

What is the difference between a MANDATE and a LAW ??? Is it that one requires you to DO SOMETHING and the other requires you to NOT DO SOMETHING ?
Pretty subtle...these politicians

CraigS

Noelle said...

OJ, no one mandates us to go to the doctor either, but the doctor is mandated to treat us if we go. I agree that there should be greater choice and more options available. My point is simply that when we seek medical treatment, we should accept the responsibility to pay for it.

Anonymous said...

The strange thing about this is 96% of MA residents had no problem purchasing insurance. THE MANDATE meant nothing to them.

Of the 4%, those who couldn't afford it were helped. THEY LIKE the mandate.

Who didn't? those who could afford it and wanted to use their money on something else. Get sick, Emergency room.

zeke

Anonymous said...

The worst mandate, in my opinion, is the one that requires all of us to pay the healthcare of those who show up in the emergency room. I am sure this well-meaning law was intended to help the poor, but it has the side-effect of helping subsidize those who are illegally in this country, the middle class, and probably even some of the rich who refuse to buy health insurance when they can afford it. This is the mandate that I find stinks to high heaven. It is worse than the personal mandate by far.

That being said, healthcare belongs mostly to the states. The federal government needs to have less control over healthcare, and the states need more.

AZ