Obama's Insurance Mandates: Silence about Enforcement

Senator Obama's health care plans include two significant mandates.

a. Parents must insure their children

b. Employers must insure their employees.

The significance of these mandates is in deciphering how they are to be enforced. During his debate with Senator McCain, Senator Obama state that no small employers (small = 3, 5, 1000 employees?) would be fined but coverage will still be mandated. How is this possible unless the mandate is to be enforced by some measure other than a fine. There are other measures. The business could be ordered to cease operations, the employer could be jailed or executed, the owner could be 'reeducated' until compliant or finally the fines will be called penalties or user fees or something like that and therefore not fines.

Tony Ondrusek at Insurance and Financial Advisor notes:

In the debate, Sen. McCain asked Sen. Obama how much small business owners would be “fined” if they couldn’t afford — or simply chose not to — offer health insurance to their employees, which is part of the Obama plan.

Sen. Obama looked straight into the camera, made a circle with two fingers, and answered, “Zero.

So how does Sen. Obama envision enforcing a law requiring employers to offer coverage? By asking nicely? Doubtful. According to his campaign website, he will require employers to pay for health insurance for their employers. (see the 5th question and the entire third and fourth pages in this link to his site.)

The mandate for children to be insured by their parents is also advanced without discussing the enforcement mechanism. How is it possible to enforce this mandate without fines, or threats to remove children from parental custody, or jail non-compliant parents.

Senator Obama has been silent on these controversies because to address them in any way would unmasked them for what they are: contradictions he cannot resolve and for which there are no solutions acceptable to the voters.

All Americans should reject this dishonesty and the candidate who is its author. Vote NObama, Tuesday.