What will be the punishment for the crime of missing a check-up under John Edwards' health care plan?

Question

From AP News:

Democratic presidential hopeful John Edwards said on Sunday that his universal health care proposal would require that Americans go to the doctor for preventive care.

"It requires that everybody be covered. It requires that everybody get preventive care," he told a crowd sitting in lawn chairs in front of the Cedar County Courthouse. "If you are going to be in the system, you can't choose not to go to the doctor for 20 years. You have to go in and be checked and make sure that you are OK."

You may recall that Hillary recommended jail time for doctors who provided health care outside of the government health care system. Will Edwards' plan be just as draconian?

Don't misinterpret the quote about "if" you are going to be in the system. Based on his stated health care goals, he really means "when." In other words, in his system, there is no choice of whether to be in or out.

Just plain Jim, what I asked may be "idiotic," but it's not an assumption. Go back and read Hillary's health care plan, if you have the attention span. There is a section that recommends jail for those who flout the health care rules. It's not such a stretch.

Look at other mandatory Nanny-type programs, including mandatory education and mandatory participation in Social Security. They all include provisions for punishments if you don't comply.

Would you like to answer the question now?

Mr. Bad Day, Getting a bill for services rendered is not considered draconian by any other standard except when it comes to health care. Government intervention has rendered fee-for-service health care too expensive for the average person, so they are dependent on heavily regulated insurance companies or the government to pay for services.

You accuse the Republicans of not offering real solutions to the real problems, and you are right. But more government is not the answer; more government is the problem. Take the government out of the health care business, and costs will tumble. There’s your “real solution.”

Saywhat, Edwards is correct that preventive care is key to successful health care. But health care is a very personal thing, and this plan presents a very slippery slope. What next? Will we have dental police coming around at sunup and sundown to make sure we brush our teeth? It’s not a question of whether we have good health insurance; it’s a question of how much of our liberty we are willing to give to the government.
Ben Franklin said: "He who sacrifices freedom for security deserves neither.” I agree with this statement on all levels. I won’t sacrifice freedom for the “security” of health police.

Answer 1

My guess is that the punishment will be having to wait in long lines. Oh, that's what the people who actually go to the doctor will get. Hrm...

Seriously, who in their right mind would want the same people that run the IRS to manage health care?

Answer 2

I just recently went to the Doc , it had been about 20 years, I have had insurance, paid premiums so my friends at work could go for whatever they pleased. After 20 years I was fine except I was in the early stages of Parkinson's, I went because I had had some shaking the past year. Now wouldn't be great if I could have had 20 years of premiums saved up in my own personal health savings account to help with my health issues now. There has got to be a better way then government run health care and the insurance companies now.We can send a man to the moon, can't we come up with a better solution to America's health care needs then Clinton or Edwards Care?

Answer 3

Yes, John Edwards is part of the problem. That's how he got rich enough to become a politician.

Answer 4

The "Punishment" would probably be a lack of coverage, or a financial penalty.

Assuming that after Edwards wins, he can get the Congress to approve the plan. And he'd have to get a majority of Americans behind the program in order to do that.

And just for the record, if you don't obey your current Health Insurance company's instructions, they don't pay a bill, usually after you've used the service (thinking it was covered.) That can leave you with a substantial penalty, like a bill for thousands of dollars.

Pretty draconian!

To me, your question just brings to mind all the arguments that the Republicans used to fight the Health Care reforms in the Nineties. Just lots of little complications, no real solutions to the real problems.

Answer 5

Edwards went to far when he made it mandatory, but he is right about preventive care. Those that answered with less than kind words for Edwards, must have good health insurance that is fully paid for by others, because those with very high premiums, and low coverage, or those with no insurance at all, for them or their kids, would consider mandatory preventive care a blessing

Answer 6

Room 101

(if you've read 1984, you'd know exactly what I mean)

Answer 7

you will most likely have to sit hold hand and talk about your feelings and then sing koom by ya ...and they would ask "dont you feel better now?"

Answer 8

Oh, my god. Edwards wants to take us into a communist society. I can just imagine the long lines and people getting fined for missing their appointments. How is that going to benefit working class Americans who have to work and are busy? Are they also going to be reprimanded if they miss an appointment? This is just preposterous.

Answer 9

Yes, it will be all that and alot worse!

Government is not the solution to our problems. Government IS the problem.

Answer 10

Minus 10 points for your idiotic assumption.

We'd need every NFL stadium and NBA gym in order to house all those who missed their appointment.

Then you'd have real problems, not to mention squaring our incarceration rate.

Like I said, idiotic.
Pretty typical of posts by people running on scared, knowing that the repugs have screwed up so bad Homer Simpson could become president.

Peace

Jim

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