Talk of Universal Health Care Grows

Washington Post on Pennsylvania and other states' plans for universal health insurance. Twice the article compares health insurance mandates to auto insurance:

Some plans mandate that every individual must have insurance - not unlike mandatory auto insurance for every driver - with financial help for those too poor to buy it outright.

However, as Matt Brouillette's Commentary for today points out, health insurance is nothing like auto insurance. Auto insurance covers catastrophic events - accidents and such - not gasoline or oil changes. Additionally, state laws mandate auto insurance only to cover damage you cause to another's car, not your own. Health insurance covers (as prescribed by law) to cover a whole host procedures one would consider routine.

Furthermore, when auto insurance becomes too expensive, consumers have the option to sell their car and walk, bike, carpool, or bus to work. Health insurance mandates will beimposed on anyone who is resident of the state.

As long as we're talking about requiring everyone to buy something, why not a mandatory contribution to the Commonwealth Foundation.