How can you possibly think that?
It's stupid to require the poor to pay for plans they don't need/want/afford, and for rich to pay for plans when they can pay their own way.
MANY people opt to pay the fine as substantially cheaper than compliance.
And it's a safe guess that the political "Left" would be screaming outrage if the "Right" were compelling people to buy private-sector products (health insurance) they didn't want or afford.
Poor people don't need health insurance? Doesn't everyone need it? If anyone didn't need it it'd be the rich.
> /want
Too bad. If we let people not have health insurance we might as well legalize suicide by the same argument.
> /afford
So people who can't afford it should just... die?
> and for rich to pay for plans when they can pay their own way.
You have to be pretty rich for health insurance to not make sense. Not just like upper middle class. If you're suddenly diagnosed with some rare disease you could easily see medical costs in the hundred thousands per year.
Likewise the rich. If you're earning millions per year, you don't need ACA-imposed "$50 co-pay" type coverage for common services totaling under $100,000/yr. (Listen to Rush Limbaugh rant about such issues: forcing him to buy ACA-approved health coverage is stupid; he could buy the hospital if need be.)
Comes down to marketplace & choice: it's my life, and my money, who are you to force me (under threat of violence from the state) to buy what you consider sufficient coverage? Let's discuss fixing systemic problems with narrowly targeted solutions, yes, but don't fine me $3000/yr for preferring to pay my own way out-of-pocket completely up to $10,000/yr.
