On health insurance

The Boston Globe has a good article about twenty- and thirtysomethings in Massachusetts who choose not to buy health insurance. Young people like myself make good news subjects because of our glamorous, unpredictable lifestyles, which explains the New York Times' focus earlier this year on Gen-Xers who live with their parents and, now, the Globe's study of health care.
Based on primarily anecdotal reportage, writers Scott S. Greenberger and Maria Cramer relate the stories of five young'uns, ranging in age from 23 to 31, with no health insurance. There are 200,000 people in similar circumstances in this state. What to do? Some people simply don't want the expense. "I have a mortgage on my condo...car insurance," Ulises Rosa, 31, tells the Globe. "You try to maintain a certain lifestyle. After that, all your money is gone."
However, the two reporters mention a salient fact. "Employer-provided health insurance is becoming less common, as companies try to trim costs and turn to independent contractors," they write. "Many healthcare specialists are convinced that an individual mandate is the only way to achieve the goal of covering everyone in the Bay State."
Hard to force people to buy something they don't want. But I'm sure there are plenty of other people, young and old alike, in this state and across the country, who are uninsured and need access to health care. Investing in a healthier, more secure America is in our nation's best interest.