Univeral Health Care: Clinton and Obama

A comment on one of my previous posts deserved a new post, I thought. So here it goes.

Both Clinton and Obama want universal health care. As Obama said, the difference is in the path they're proposing.

Clinton's plan does NOT get us to free universal health care. It gets us, supposedly, to MANDATED universal health care. And there's a big difference. I'm lucky to have insurance through my employer (California State University). If my only employer was the community college, I couldn't afford health insurance.

Neither Clinton nor Obama believe they can pass free universal health care in our backwards political environment where they'd be labeled "communists" if they pushed it. So, Clinton wants to mandate our participation in health insurance. She'd make me buy insurance whether I can afford it or not. Thanks a lot! And if I couldn't possibly afford it, she'd fine me for not getting it. I'd be even worse off.

Obama is at least kind enough to say that if I can't afford the health insurance, he isn't going to make me buy it.

Both Clinton and Obama are planning to subsidize the purchase of insurance for the poorest of us. The question is what to do about those who make too much to be subsidized, but who are not well enough off to then afford health insurance. Clinton says she'll make them buy it anyway. Obama gives them a break while trying to move the country toward more universal health care.

I prefer Obama's plan. I don't need Hillary using the power of the government to make me pay for insurance I can't afford.