This blows. Clinton's health plan would require - that's right REQUIRE - all people to carry health insurance. If you read the article, you'll see she attempts to analogize the health insurance mandate to automobile liability insurance. Clinton is smart, but it doesn't take a genius to see that this is a flawed analogy. We are required to get auto insurance so that if we hit someone else and hurt them or damage their property, we have a way of insuring that the other person isn't screwed if someone can't pay up - so, auto insurance is for the benefit of the person you hurt by your negligence. But health insurance is - or should be - my decision. And what if I'm rich and think I don't need it for myself? Well, if I'm not rich enough, then I get wiped out - my problem. What if I'm poor and can't really afford what they are mandating? My guess is that someone making $8.00 an hr. is going to be able to afford insurance that doesn't cover much and has such a high deductible that, for them, it'd be next to useless - but, I suppose that is where the $110 billion in subsidies will come in - of course, w/ $110 billion in subsidies and a requirement that everyone have insurance, my guess is that aggregate insurance premiums will go up by about, well $110 billion and then some - this has the potential to get REAL costly on top of the already ominous liabilities in SS and Medicaid - the '08 choices are looking worse and worse every day.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070917/ap_on_el_pr/clinton_health_care