The Affordable Care Act is causing some serious head-scratching among doctors, insurance companies, lawmakers and especially the patients it’s supposed to protect. In my opinion, the most baffling aspect of the legislation is the concept of “mandatory minimum coverage.” We no longer have the right to make bad decisions when it comes to choosing a health insurance plan. Now the government will hold our hand whenever we go shopping for insurance or something like that.
Essentially, the law empowers Kathleen Sebelius (Secretary of Health and Human Services) to define which conditions health insurance companies must cover. This year, insurance companies will be breaking the law if they offer consumers plans that don’t include benefits such as substance abuse treatment and maternity care, just to name a few.
Of course, the President touts this policy of mandatory coverage as a “consumer protection” against menacing insurance companies, but the President’s mistrust appears to be equally directed toward the consumer. After all, when Obama denied their right to sell, he denied our right to buy.
That reality is sinking in for the 5 million consumers whose 2013 insurance policies fell short of Sebelius’ mark, which became law at the beginning of 2014. That figure does not include those who will forgo insurance altogether after determining that the increased costs do not outweigh the new benefits. The law that promised expansion of coverage has actually limited our ability to purchase insurance that fits our financial and medical needs.
We can harp on these dismal consequences all day, but I think it’s important to understand why the law has to be this way. In a free economy, the market is governed by the voluntary decisions of the consumer. So if the government wishes to control the market, the government must make some decisions for the consumer. We can easily see how the law would be effectively neutralized if consumers were allowed to opt out of the mandatory minimum requirements. In the end, compulsion is the modus operandi of every government solution. It’s up to you to decide whether the ends justify the means.
I’d personally rather make my own bad decisions than have bad decisions made for me. I believe I’m perfectly capable of acting in my best interest and dealing with the consequences when I make mistakes. That’s how freedom works. Aren’t we all qualified to exercise free will when making our own decisions?
If not, who is?
Cruise Hall is a junior majoring in mechanical engineering.
