Shared Responsibility

Shared Responsibility


The euphemism for "individual mandate".

We now know that "Health Care Reform" is really about who will
"pay" or "benefit" from the "great" program to increase health insurance -
particularly to those who cannot afford health insurance now.

Special interests groups correctly perceive that there is a lot at stake here.
Lobbyists are working hard to ensure that their clients win this game, or at the very
least, are not thrown under the health care reform steamroller.
The main stakeholders, or "shared responsiblity" parties, are as follows:

1. Healthcare providers
2. Healthcare insurance companies
3. Employers
4. American citizens


Of the above four groups, only the first three have a significant lobbying
effort on capital hill to protect their interests. Healthcare providers do not want
their payments cut. They will probably succeed or negotiate much better terms for
themselves (less pay cuts). Healthcare insurance companies do not want the government plan.
Why? The government plan would be less costly. Their profits would be reduced drastically. It would be like banning public schools and being forced to send you kids to a private school. Unfortunately, they will most likely succeed in getting the government plan removed.
Employers do not want the mandate to force them to offer health insurance. They will probably succeed or get this provision with a lot of loopholes to get around it.
Amazingly, American citizens seemed to be complacent over the individual mandate. Which, as noted by Michael Cannon
at the Cato Institute, is comparable to the military draft in its scale of loss
to civil liberties.

Sadly, I must conclude that the final bill will put nearly all the burden on group (4), the American citizen.
The "shared responsibility" will be nearly 100% on the backs of the American citizen.

The correct answer should be:

1. Force Healthcare providers to be more efficient or go out of business.
2. Offer the government plan to force private insurers to be competitive.
3. Remove the tax exemption for employers to provide health insurance or at least provide it for individuals.
4. Do the above three and the individual mandate would not be needed.