[jimbokun]

Thanks for engaging, your comments are interesting and thought provoking.

"If there was a compulsion to purchase, the system could work, as it does in many other countries."

Wasn't that one of the major points of Obamacare, to make strides in that direction? And it did pass Supreme Court scrutiny, who decided yes it is a tax, and yes the government is allowed to tax us.

"Lastly you have "Medicare for all" which would basically bankrupt hospitals if you extrapolate from what current Medicare does to them financially."

Across our economy, competition and technology drive higher quality at lower cost. Doctors and hospitals need to have an incentive structure that rewards keeping the most people healthy at the lowest cost. "Capitation" models are meant to provide these incentives, where you don't get paid for "doing things" to patients, like ordering tests or performing surgeries. You get paid a fixed sum per patient to keep them healthy, adjusted for the "risk" associated with the patient (for example, if they have a chronic condition that needs ongoing treatment).

So an intelligent "Medicare for All" system could be designed to incentivize innovation and cost cutting and overall patient health, if implemented intelligently.