I do not see how you could say that the new 2014 mandate takes away the patient's right to choose healthcare. According to the 2014 mandate, "In 2014, the penalty will be $285 per family or 1% of income, whichever is greater. By 2016, it goes up to $2,085 per family or 2.5% of income." This gives individuals 2 years to secure healthcare or pay $285 or 1% of income and then another 2 years after that to secure insurance of pay the fine. The average cost of private insurance in America is $183. If by 2016 the individual does not have health insurance he/she can take a private plan for their family and pay just $100 more than they would by paying the fine. Its like with car insurance. If you do not have a liability policy then you must pay the DMV the "uninsured motorist fee". This sparks most people to pay a little more and obtain a liability policy. Your always going to have charity care in place at hospitals that will provide high quality care at little or no cost depending on financial situation.

I don’t know all the minute details of the tax penalties the government will implement against those who do not have health insurance, but I do know one thing. The health insurance companies absolutely love this law. They just got a guaranteed customer base of at least 50 million. And guess what? Premiums will come down because of it. Under ObamaCare, your monthly health insurance premiums will now be affordable. I have no idea how people can claim that health insurers will suffer.

http://www.cnn.com/2012/06/28/politics/supreme-court-health-effects/index.html

1 day 9hrs ago

Insurance executives are against healthcare reform due to the potential effects it will have on overall operating costs and profits of the companies. "Fearing that a new public program could outcompete private insurance on price and quality, insurers launched a campaign against it, arguing that a government-run plan, with its favorable tax and regulatory treatment, would undermine the private insurance industry"(Quadagno, p. 450).Healthcare reform makes it hard for insurance companies to function as profitable entities and increases the pay-out cost. This will ultimately lead to job loss and the inability for insurance companies to compete for consumers.

References

Quadagno, Jill. (June, 2011). Interst-Group Influence On the Patient Protection and Affordability Act of 2010: Winners and Losers in the Health Care Reform Debate. Journal of Health Politics, 36, 449-453. doi: 10.1215/03616878-1271081