Thursday, September 20, 2012

HHS Preaches Individual Responsibility

The Associated Press reports that nearly 6 million more people than initially estimated will be assessed the Obamacare tax penalty for failure to own health insurance.  "Most would be in the middle class."

"This (analysis) doesn't change the basic fact that the individual responsibility policy will only affect people who can afford health care but choose not to buy it," said Erin Shields Britt of the Health and Human Services Department. "We're no longer going to subsidize the care of those who can afford to buy insurance but make a choice not to buy it."

My guess is that most of the people who will have to pay this tax will be young, relatively healthy people who believe they can get by without the insurance and, in most cases, can.  We need their dollars to subsidize the older generations' demand for health care services.  I would call this "individual responsibility" policy "selective," to say the least.

The use of the word "choice" in the quote is interesting too.  In terms of "pro-choice," health care rights, the policy makers are also selective.

(h/t Drudge)

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