I’m not one for anecdotal evidence (as many of you know), so I’ve not joined in the chorus of people who have cited historical precedent for health insurance mandates. One reason is that I’m a bit tired of mandate discussion, since it’s a fixable problem if that was what people really wanted. The larger reason is that this is not my area of expertise, and so I don’t know the answer.
That being said, Avik Roy does a pretty good job dismantling the historical precedent for the individual mandate. If for no other reason than the mandate being cited is an employer mandate, which – I have to agree – few are challenging on constitutional grounds.
It does seem to me, however, that the historical precedent does support a longstanding history of much more socialized-financed health care. Maybe this will make Medicare-for-all more palatable in the future. I’ve long since ceased being amazed by this whole process.
