I believe it is beneficial to help identify the problems with our health care system.

With good/service that is so inelastically demanded, such as health care, the markets pricing mechanism creates a considerable amount of unintended consequences.

Think about it; if you were an insurance company, would you be willing to ascribe to a policy of insuring the most risky demographic in the US, AKA the elderly? Of course not, and rightfully so. It is estimated that Americans will spend more than 2/3 of their total health care costs during their last year of life, and around 1/2 during their last month of life. Suffice to say, it would not be profitable for an insurance company to cover this type of demographic. Therefore, the government has agreed to supplement the elderly for this failure in the market mechanism.

Next we have those with pre existing conditions. A private insurance company would be insane to offer insurance to this particular demographic, because the odds are, on the aggregate, the liabilities will far outweigh the revenue gained from adding them to their customer base. And yet... we have yet to offer a governmental supplement to make up for the dead weight loss incorporated in the health care market.

While it is possibly true that a young strapping man as myself will not get sick, or injured, the odds are that if i were to forgo insurance, and were to get seriously injured or ill, i would be up to my ears in medical bills. Being the rational economic agent i am, i would not find it logical to attempt to pay off tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands in hospital bills, and therefore stick it to the hospitals.

This type of behavior puts considerable cost pressures on hospitals. Combine this with the use of Emergency Rooms acting as primary physician care for those without health insurance, and we can begin to see how costs are being "spread" throughout the system. Many of these illnesses could have been more easily and more cost effectively treated prior to the visit to the ER.

The solution is simple. Create a public option that allows anyone who demands it to be able to obtain it. In doing so, there must be serious legislation enacted that allows private insurance companies the right to deny coverage to anyone they see fit. For the most part, this will be the obese, smokers, elderly (already covered ) those with pre-existing conditions, or even those who do not pay their premiums in an orderly fashion.

This allows the private sector to do what it does best, and reduces the burden from its risk pool, which has led to the double digit increases in health care costs. It also provides a competitive edge to the consumer. If insurance companies push too many people off their plan, without due diligence, then they will be forced to raise their premiums. A competitive company will attempt to keep as many profitable candidates in the pool without tarnishing its reputation, or putting long run costs out of tune (thereby forcing them to jack up rates).

Those who do not have insurance will then be able to obtain it, and hospitals will no longer be forced to foot the bill, or make financial decisions that can cost the lives of many sick Americans, as they are so regretfully forced to do on a daily, if not hourly basis.

I challenge anyone who disagrees with my premise to debate me with the facts. But be warned in advance, i will employ the most cutting edge economic literature and statistics to support my assertions.