In Holland, Some See Model For U.S. Health-Care System - WSJ.com

In Holland, Some See Model For U.S. Health-Care System - WSJ.com:

"The Dutch system features two key rules: All adults must buy insurance, and all insurers must offer a policy to anyone who applies, no matter how old or how sick. Those who can't afford to pay the premiums get help from the state, financed by taxes on the well-off."

Sound familiar? Go to the link to see the accompanying graphic comparing the Netherlands, Massechusetts and (proposed) California plans. They are not too different. What is different is the minimum wage in the Netherlands-about 1.8 times ours.

So in order to avoid the pesky problem of deciding among insurance, food, and heating your home, we'd have to do a much better job against low wages and poverty in general. Thiis couldn't happen in most states, but I wonder if California could double its minimum wage and get away with it? Not a lot of egress from california, almost no matter what. So maybe that could be the state to experimant with a mandated living wage and mandated health insurance.

Cheers,

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