Moneybox: The Hidden Health Care Mandate

Now playing: Slate V, a video-only site from the world's leading online magazine. Visit Slate V at www.slatev.com.
Moneybox The Hidden Health Care Mandate The Supreme Court can wring their hands about penalizing people who don't buy health insurance. But it's actually been that way for a long time. By Matthew Yglesias Posted Friday, Mar 30, 2012, at 05:50 PM ET The idea of financially penalizing people for not buying health insurance sounds dodgy, even repugnant. It's long been a popular idea among health policy wonks that, until 2009, enjoyed a bipartisan imprimatur. That said, voters hate the idea. Judging by oral arguments at the Supreme Court this week, the justices are skeptical, too. Even President Obama himself denounced it repeatedly when campaigning against Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination. And yet you might be surprised to learn that this seemingly controversial idea—that preferring more money and less health insurance should be penalized—is already at the core of the American health care system and has been for decades. If you're not retired and you do have health insurance, the odds are good that you get that insurance through your employer as compensation for the work you do. But at first glance, it's not obvious why that should be the case. After all, your employer doesn't give you car insurance or homeowners insurance. Why should health insurance be different? The mystery deepens when you consider that, in a sense, your employer really does give you your car insurance. Or, rather, your employer gives you money and you use the money to buy car insurance and whatever other kinds of insurance you want. By the same token, your employer doesn't give you shoes or furniture. You get paid money and you do what you want with your money. This is better for you, since money is ... To continue reading, click here. Join the Fray: our reader discussion forum What did you think of this article? POST A MESSAGE | READ MESSAGES Also In Slate Why Does the Supreme Court Fret About Penalties for People Who Don't Buy Health Care? They Already Exist. Obama's Hot-Mic Gaffe Isn't Nearly as Embarrassing as the Republican Reaction to It Oh No! A Stock Photo of Me Is Being Used To Advertise Online Dating Services.	Advertisement
Manage your newsletters subscription: Unsubscribe | Forward to a Friend | Advertising Information
Ideas on how to make something better? Send an e-mail to slatenewsletter@nl.slate.com. Copyright 2011 The Slate Group | Privacy Policy The Slate Group | c/o E-mail Customer Care | 1350 Connecticut Ave NW Suite 410 | Washington, D.C. 20036