Obama claimed he once bought mandated auto insurance thru a compamy set up to just meet state mandated insurance. When he was rear ended he called the company and they would not even discuss it. As a lawyer he should have known the mandated insurance was just for liability, no collision. The vehicle who rear ended him was probably at fault and their insurance company was the one to call.

some journalists say things just to make money. I.E Rush Limbaugh & this guy. don't even know his name; don't even care. it's a waste of neurons. (Boobs, was it?)

what a ridiculous article that says nothing really.The 'plan' however is a good idea. Incentive to keep your insurance current is no different than paying that credit card bill on time to maintain GOOD CREDIT. duh.

"but, if you want to - go gin up a majority who feel differently."

It's comin' baby, it's comin'....

Snarky, Sweetheart, I wish you would look around. Medicare is radical. It's painted up to be a humanitarian effort but it's still government waste and a debt manufactury. YOu already said you don't have a choice about it. That is as un-AMerican as a thing gets:NO CHOICE! Take your head out of your @$$ and look around: the only thing growing in the U.S. right now is DEBT, UNEMPLOYMENT and GOVERNMENT! Oh and the list of entitlements available to people with NO intention of working, ever...
I just realized what you said here:"you view them as a threat to liberty. but, none have surfaced". How about my freedom to keep what is mine? Why am I greedy for wanting to keep it but you're not greedy for wanting to TAKE IT! Why won't you answer my other questions? Does it trouble you at all when you think of the debt YOU are heaping on your child?

Suddenly you think that the "health insurance" premiums you pay the government aren't going primarily to protect "the other guy"? :)

This part is particularly interesting:
"But even these modern era precedents which have expanded congressional power under the Commerce Clause confirm that this power is subject to outer limits. In Jones & Laughlin Steel, the Court warned that the scope of the interstate commerce power "must be considered in the light of our dual system of government and may not be extended so as to embrace effects upon interstate commerce so indirect and remote that to embrace them, in view of our complex society, would effectually obliterate the distinction between what is national and what is local and create a completely centralized government."
Note where it says "EXPANDED CONGRESSIONAL POWER". Joyce is right, it's only relevant to the things we ARE buying by choice. Not things forced upon us by people who don't understand freedom. That's the whole problem Snarky, expanded government. Through these interpretations the Constitution has been slowly eroded until Liberty is a mere ghost of what it once was. We have judges in place who have sworn to uphold the Constitution but have spent all their lives swimming in the semantics of legalese without understanding the impact of their interpretations. Expansion of Congressional reach is where we are drawing the line. Why does liberty scare you so much? I'm truly sorry about your struggles, but no one can do more good with my money than me! As soon as the government gets involved the value of any money injected is radically curtailed by the overhead inherent in a corrupt bureaucracy. Unfortunately, that's about all we have left in Washington; Corrupt bureaucrats, most of them LAWYERS! Snarky, I really do love you but you need to wake up to the fact that the only reason there is even a "Liberal Culture" in America is because Capitalism and personal Liberty have made this the strongest, wealthiest, safest nation on the planet. Remove those and soon we will ALL be poor. Please open your eyes. Everywhere big government is tried it reduces freedom and prosperity. Where would you draw the line Snark? What freedoms do you want to keep? Are you content to simply be a kept person, a subject(ward) of the state? I've noticed you mention your kids, how much debt do you want them to live under as grown-ups? Do you want them to be wards of the state? DO you believe that any of those stories of Utopian Socialism will ever come true? Do you REALLY believe that your government is the ONLY group that is not greedy?!

Obama's comparison is apples to oranges. If he wants to compare it to auto insurance he should compare it to auto REPAIR insurance that you would purchase from a dealer's repair shop. I don't think the gov't has mandated that now, or has it? Better not give them the idea; may be a platform for 2012.

You said 'We have family hospitalization, cancer, special event and one other I can't remember"

OK, I emailed the president and told him to stand down on this healthcare thing. Joyce is covered and would never have an issue and hasn't had one so, I told him we were all good to go now.

Thanks for telling us! I thought there was a problem.

We have family hospitalization, cancer, special event and one other I can't remember, but for all four we pay $143 a month for catastrophic. And I'm sure we have more than most people would need.

...or somewhat free, kinda free, ore relatively free. Lets ditch the rest and keep the free.

The next time businesses and states start talking about unfunded Federal mandates, more people will know firsthand what they're talking about.

This would be the one that they MIGHT have justification for. There is already a law in place preventing emergency rooms/hospitals from turning away patients regardless of ability to pay and other reasons. I won’t debate the validity of this one except to point out that it came out of the civil rights era and AT THE TIME was needed. Refusing to debate if that law has outlived its usefulness (because it would drag us completely off subject), as long as it exists the idea of requiring catastrophic insurance or a personal bond in place of insurance could be justified in order to prevent the hospitals or the public from having to foot those bills, because that would shift the burden back to the individual where it belongs.

andrew, you really need to read up on the commerce clause

http://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/93-1260.ZO.html

Not to mention that it's ridiculous to presume that healthcare in general has ever been solely up to the states. Medicare, VA, etc - long ago under federal control legally.

you're essentially arguing that healthcare generally and the sale of health insurance is not commercial in nature.

Anybody remember the Wallflower's song "Driving With One Headlight"? If el Presidente is going to break out the car reference for Health insurance debate...let's take it a step further.

Don't forget that EVERYONE will need health care at some point in their life. That does'nt work for insurance. And there in lies the rub.

Also, in some states, you don't need insurance if you post a bond to the state. So, to carry the analogy further, I don't need health insurarance if I want to pay cash to my OWN doctor!!

Ok, here goes for anyone who cares.

They say Insurance for Automobiles is mandated.

Sure thing, to protect against Casualties. Realistically, we need Automobiles, so to say you are not required to carry it is largely a non-starter.

But let us examine what that Insurance covers. Does your Insurance cover trips to the Mechanic? How about it, does your Insurance cover tune ups? How about engine replacement? Does it cover brakes or tires?

Now, I personally think we should ALL have catastrophic care insurance, for no other reason than it protects us from having to pay for those who are idiotic enough to not carry it. You could add language such as states have that you can eliminate the provision by proving personal ability to pay claims.

The sad thing is, Catastrophic care insurance is dirt cheap, and I am personally not aware of anyone who could not afford it that also does not have cable TV, a Cell phone, not to mention a Playstation 3 or two as well.

A final thought for those who wish to consider it. What would your Auto Insurance cost if it included maintenance as well as accidents?

Would you be more likely to take it in for routine tune ups, and would you run those brakes to the end of their lifespan?

Thought not.

One more thing to consider is that if you don't want to buy auto insurance you have the choice not to drive a car. If you don't want health insurance you have to drop dead or pay a fine. Enough said -

If it is the same as auto insurance then I want the ability to buy auto insurance for pre-existing conditions!!

Another point for you Neal, if you notice, auto insurance is mandated by the STATES, not the federal government.