Mr. McClaughry missed the point of my letter concerning his latest commentary. Constitutional questions and semantics (tax or fine, etc.) aside, his proposal for the uninsured was similar to ACA (Obamacare) in spite of his political ideology. Both favor using of the taxing power of the IRS, in their own way, to encourage the purchase of health insurance as per his National Review article. At the risk of giving added attention to his right wing agenda, just google John McClauhgry, “What to Do With the Uninsured,” National Review magazine. In spite of what Mr. McClaughry thinks, it’s not all that difficult to understand.
The article also seems to show Mr. McClaughry’s laissez faire nostalgia for past health insurance company practices, such as very high deductibles and co-pays, denial of coverage for pre-existing conditions, increased rates for older people, and rejecting insurance applications if an applicant had past claims experience (losses, etc.). I was refused coverage once due to the last category. If Medicare had followed his free market mantra, virtually no one would or could have qualified.
JERRY KILCOURSE
Montpelier