Three Roads Blog

Last week, I posted (to my work blog) on the anachronistic employer-health insurance link.

[Lest any of my co-workers follow a Google Alert link to this blog and subsequently read my unvarnished opinions on sensitive topics like politics and religion, I've opted to omit a link to the post. If you want to read it, e-mail me and I'll send you the URL.]

A little over a year ago, I had no strong beliefs—and no clue—about the health care debate. Now, I know enough about the subject to talk more confidently than I probably should. (Isn’t that always how it goes?)

Anyway, in the post I make the case for separating health insurance from the workplace. The tie was established by accident in WWII during a labor shortage, and it is still around for no good reason other than we’re all used to it.

But more than just getting rid of the connection, I think we ought to have an individual mandate—meaning everyone should be required to get coverage, like people living in Massachusetts.

And on a partisan, somewhat-related note, I find it ridiculous that Mitt Romney, who as governor of Massachusetts signed into law the bill requiring people to get health insurance, would criticize Hillary Clinton’s recent health care proposal, which from my point of view looks an awful lot like the plan that got Romney’s signature.

Either I’m missing some key difference between the plans (very possible, I will admit) or politicians like Romney have no compunction about attacking the opposition even when the opposition has the same position (also very possible).