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In both the House and Senate versions of the Democrats' healthcare bills, exemptions have been written in which will allow the Amish to avoid fines if they don't buy health insurance.
Many Amish prefer to rely on themselves, their friends, and families when help is needed, and it's a system that works very well for them. Well enough, in fact, that it might be nice if the trend caught on with other Americans.
Still, many people are trying to figure out exactly what got the Democrats to give special consideration to the Amish. Hope n' Change suggests that it might have been this scene from the film "Witness"...
4 comments:
Hmm. I have a plan that works like the Amish system; and it could actually work for any group of like-minded people (liberal-conservative-pipe fitters-prostitutes... whatever). It's not insurance, so it works across state lines, and it reduced my payments from $14k a year (with $10k deductible) to $4k (with $350 deductible). The fact that congress will make a special "allowance" for one of those plans, instead of encouraging more plans like that, shows me they are more interested in gouging taxpayers than in "creating options... allow you to keep your existing plan... lower costs."
I say, Amish horse-pucky.
So, what about Christian Scientists? If memory serves me correctly (and it may not; please correct me if I'm wrong), they believe in the power of God over medicine. Will they be forced to buy health insurance that is against their faith to use?
Bob- You're right...there are innovative solutions out there, and the government isn't interested in them, because the "solutions" they claim to be looking for aren't their real goals.
Also, there's a wonderful symbiotic quality about forming a risk pool that's only for pipe fitters and prostitutes (grin).
Yakko- I believe you're right about Christian Scientists. And all of this is pointing to some messy battles to come; if any one group can get a religious exemption, why not other religious groups? Or "conscientious objector" status for even the non-religious who believe that mandating healthcare purchase is a violation of our constitutional rights?
No matter what happens, it will be good for lawyers. Darn it.
I think its good to allow exemptions but the problem is...EVERYONE should be exempted from paying this fine, because EVERYONE should have the same choice that the Amish have.
However IMO that choice is NOT to just spend your money in other ways just to have the government cover your ER bill when something DOES happen.
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