Federal Government, M.D.

President Obama's $1.5 trillion health care plan would make health insurance a "right" for all Americans. The proposed plan empowers the federal government to ensure that employers provide insurance and that individuals obtain it.

Companies that do not provide access to coverage would face stiff penalties, and individuals who refuse to get insurance (that they may not want) would also be forced to forfeit about 2.5 percent of their salary in penalties.

Here's a rough sketch of how this wonderful plan would work. It's too bad - forced health insurance would make a favorite saying obsolete: "an apple a day keeps the doctor away."