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| Angelika/Mike Schilli |
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Angelika Sometimes things actually happen in this country that I never would have thought possible in my life. At the beginning of April, politicians (both Democrats and Republicans) decided to introduce a health insurance mandate for their citizens in the state of Massachusetts starting in July 2007.
A historic moment, as this has not existed in any American state until now. As the health insurance debacle in the USA worsens, the number of uninsured people keeps rising, and costs explode under poor conditions, Massachusetts decided to take matters into its own hands. The idea is: states require their drivers to have liability insurance if they own a car. Why should it be different when it comes to one's own health? Hats off, Massachusetts! First same-sex marriage (Rundbrief 03/2004) and now mandatory health insurance!
The details regarding mandatory insurance are not yet fully developed, but in principle, everyone who can afford health insurance must obtain it. Citizens who belong to the poorer segments of the population can access government-subsidized models, along with an expansion of Medicaid (a healthcare program for low-income groups, Rundbrief 03/2005).
Many are now hoping that other states will follow the good example set by Massachusetts. Will I still live to see the day when health insurance becomes mandatory across all of America? By the way, if any of you want to read a good book about the dire state of the American healthcare system, you should check out "Critical Condition" by the two journalists Donald Bartlett and James Steele. However, the book has only been published in English so far. In the prologue, the authors describe, for example, that the pricing policy of health insurance companies in America is akin to a supermarket charging each customer a different price for a box of cornflakes. You can guess that the authors lean more towards the liberal side and advocate for a national mandatory insurance in America.
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