I think the fascinating thing about this discussion is the fact that the conservatives here haven't really offered any workable alternatives (i could have missed it though if they did). Hell, i don't think i even see any conservatives here mention any fairy tale alternatives.
I think it's time for conservatives to just admit they enjoy the status quo of SOME people having insurances and others not having anything. And the only reason they oppose this is because this is BARACK HUSSEIN HITLER POL POT OBAMA's bill.
There are several major problems with the healthcare system that Obamacare purported to solve. One was the high cost and rate of inflation in healthcare costs, another was the number of uninsured people. (approx 10% of the population). The uninsured issue was mostly a cost allocation issue (since the uninsured generally do get treated anyway) to which the mandate is, in principle, a reasonable solution. However, everything else in the bill will make the cost problem worse.
Advocates claimed that that by solving the uninsured problem we would reduce costs because people wouldn't go to emergency rooms for treatment and be healthier as a result of increased access to healthcare. However, the majority of studies done on this issue simply don't support the claim. I'd also note that the free rider problem in this case is not a natural phenomenon in the market, it is the result of our policies that require people to be treated regardless of ability to pay. I'm not saying we shouldn't do that, but it's worth keeping in mind.
We have had previous threads on this issue in which posters from both sides have posted ideas for actual cost reductions. The bottom line is that insurance company overhead and profit is a relatively small piece of the pie, and even if you assume the government can do it cheaper it's not going to solve the problem. Real cost reductions can only occur by:
1. Reducing the quantity of healthcare supplied
2. Reducing the unit cost of healthcare (i.e. reduce doctor salaries, shift work to PA's and RN's)
3. Living healthier lifestyles
Single payer can accomplish 1 and 2 through rationing, however it's not the only way to get there. The Ryan plan for medicare was a more market oriented way of accomplishing the same thing. We can't seem to have an honest national discussion about this because we are incapable of acknowledging that in life we have to make trade offs. People want their doctors to make a lot of money to ensure that they are the best and brightest, and they want unlimited access, and they don't want to pay out of pocket, and they want insurance to be cheap.
However, none of this goes to the constitutionality of Obamacare which was the issue before the court.
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