Gerald Kominski is the new director of the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research and the lead author of the Center's latest publication on the "individual mandate" – the requirement in health care reform that all Americans purchase some type of health care coverage. In this brief interview, he discusses the reasons why the mandate is controversial, how "adverse selection" could inhibit coverage further, and the alternatives proposed by opponents of the mandate.
Why would someone not want to participate in the individual mandate?
There are a few reasons. First, people have ideological objections to being told that they have to buy insurance. This is really the basis for the Supreme Court case that's being brought to repeal the individual mandate. But some of the other reasons include religious objections as well as concerns about the affordability of either coverage or the penalty you must pay if you do not enroll. ...
Read more