Changes

Long delays to see a doctor due to an increase in patients seeking benefits for their insurance payments.  Some patients have felt compelled to share their doctors' appointments with other patients have been the result of the '''Massachusetts plan'''.<ref>http://www.aapsonline.org/newsoftheday/00113</ref>  Family Research Council explains the Plan in detail.<ref>http://www.frc.org/get.cfm?i=IF07L03</ref>  The cost overruns in the first year were 50% of budgeted amount.

Long delays to see a doctor due to an increase in patients seeking benefits for their insurance payments.  Some patients have felt compelled to share their doctors' appointments with other patients have been the result of the '''Massachusetts plan'''.<ref>http://www.aapsonline.org/newsoftheday/00113</ref>  Family Research Council explains the Plan in detail.<ref>http://www.frc.org/get.cfm?i=IF07L03</ref>  The cost overruns in the first year were 50% of budgeted amount.

Critics suggest that this approach of the state requiring its residents to purchase a type of product is contrary to free enterprise.  Many people choose "self-insurance" voluntarily, and forcing them to buy a product they do not want is both unusual and probably unhelpful to the economy, as it will take money away from where it might otherwise be spent.  Even car insurance, which many people think is mandatory, has exemptions for self-insurance and sometimes religious belief in most states.{{fact}} Also, car insurance laws are justified to protect innocent third parties victimized by accidents, not to protect the owner of the insurance.<ref>http://www.jpands.org/vol11no3/schlafly.pdf</ref>

Critics suggest that this approach of the state requiring its residents to purchase a type of product is contrary to free enterprise.  Many people choose "self-insurance" voluntarily, and forcing them to buy a product they do not want is both unusual and probably unhelpful to the economy, as it will take money away from where it might otherwise be spent.  Even car insurance, which many people think is mandatory, has exemptions for self-insurance and sometimes religious belief in most states.  Also, car insurance laws are justified to protect innocent third parties victimized by accidents, not to protect the owner of the insurance.<ref>http://www.jpands.org/vol11no3/schlafly.pdf</ref>

However, hospitals are required to treat individuals who visit the emergency room, regardless of their ability to pay or their insurance status. This is also contrary to free enterprise, however for the good of the community, the freedom of hospitals to turn sick people away is curtailed. If people must either buy insurance or pay a penalty, the financial incentive to not buy insurance is removed. This in turn relieves the burden of non-payers from hospitals, who can then use these funds to improve their health care and equipment.<ref>http://www.heritage.org/Research/HealthCare/wm1045.cfm</ref>

However, hospitals are required to treat individuals who visit the emergency room, regardless of their ability to pay or their insurance status. This is also contrary to free enterprise, however for the good of the community, the freedom of hospitals to turn sick people away is curtailed. If people must either buy insurance or pay a penalty, the financial incentive to not buy insurance is removed. This in turn relieves the burden of non-payers from hospitals, who can then use these funds to improve their health care and equipment.<ref>http://www.heritage.org/Research/HealthCare/wm1045.cfm</ref>

==Sources==

==Sources==

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[[Category:politics]]

[[Category:politics]]

[[Category:medicine]]

[[Category:medicine]]