Romneycare & Free Riders

During last night’s GOP presidential debate, Rick Santorum and Mitt Romney had a polite disagreement over Romneycare’s impact on free-ridership in Massachusetts. The short version: Santorum was right. Romney and even FactCheck.org disputed Santorum’s claim, but they misunderstood it.

The exchange comes 2:15 into this video from Kaiser Health News:

Here’s the Kaiser Health News transcript:

SANTORUM: Just so I understand this, in Massachusetts, everybody is mandated as a condition of breathing in Massachusetts, to buy health insurance, and if you don’t, and if you don’t, you have to pay a fine.

What has happened in Massachusetts is that people are now paying the fine because health insurance is so expensive. And you have a pre-existing condition clause in yours, just like Barack Obama.

So what is happening in Massachusetts, the people that Governor Romney said he wanted to go after, the people that were free-riding, free ridership has gone up five-fold in Massachusetts. Five times the rate it was before. Why? Because…

ROMNEY: That’s total, complete…

SANTORUM: I’ll be happy to give you the study. Five times the rate it has gone up. Why? Because people are ready to pay a cheaper fine and then be able to sign up to insurance, which are now guaranteed under “Romney-care,” than pay high cost insurance, which is what has happened as a result of “Romney-care.”

ROMNEY: First of all, it’s not worth getting angry about. Secondly, the…

(APPLAUSE)

ROMNEY: Secondly, 98 percent of the people have insurance. And so the idea that more people are free-riding the system is simply impossible. Half of those people got insurance on their own. Others got help in buying the insurance.

FactCheck.org writes:

Collateral Damage Wrote: Jan 30, 2012 6:04 PM

Congratulations, Florida!!! You are about to hand the 2012 election to the Jack@$$-In-Chief. I mean really, how bright are you folks to be sucked in by the carpet-bombing of RINO Romney (aka-Obama-lite)jQuery15208696557506160486_1327964009839? Oh yeah, and you weasels in state government down there have caused me to cancel vacationing in Florida anytime soon. Will NOT give my money to people with MHIT-FOR-BRAINS!!! Looks like the fine Robert Trent Jones courses in ALABAMA!?! I suggest that ALL Santorum and Gingrich supporters do the same!?!

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Collateral Damage Wrote: Jan 30, 2012 6:01 PM

Congratulations, Florida!!! You are about to hand the 2012 election to the Jack@$$-In-Chief. I mean really, how bright are you folks to be sucked in by the carpet-bombing of RINO Romney (aka-Obama-lite)jQuery15208696557506160486_1327964009838? Oh yeah, and you weasels in state government down there have caused me to cancel vacationing in Florida anytime soon. Will NOT give my money to people with MHIT-FOR-BRAINS!!! Looks like the fine Robert Trent Jones courses in ALABAMA!?! I suggest that ALL Santorum and Gingrich supporters do the same!?!

johnm h Wrote: Jan 30, 2012 4:55 PM

Everyone on all these sites is repeating the negatives their favorite candidate uses against the others. I'd like to hear a little vision from the candidates, some analysis and evidence that they actually understand the problem. All I hear are shallow talking points, attacks that are equally shallow and defensive reactions to other shallow attacks. It's getting really tiresome and will go a long way to reelecting Obama.

Collateral Damage Wrote: Jan 30, 2012 6:03 PM

Hey John, get your boy, RINO Romney to drop the carpet-bombing attack stuff, and maybe, just maybe we might have some issues to discuss!?!

Retired Lady Wrote: Jan 30, 2012 3:03 PM

This is what I find particularly disturbing about Romney, his abject failure to repudiate Romneycare in MS! I find his support of this poorly written legislation, also the blueprint for Obamacare, very troublesome. Also even more disquieting is his behavior and the tactics used by his surrogates in Florida. Tactics that distribute falsehoods in place of fact are too reminiscent of Obama and his climb to power.

itirksme Wrote: Jan 30, 2012 2:58 PM

Obama cut as much from the NASA budget as he politically could do.

Chucky Krauthammer says Obama's Plan would "Turn NASA Into an R&D Agency" and would "End Our Human Dominance in Space." (SO WHAT!!)

FoxNews, an apparent Marxian propaganda channel excoriates Obama for canceling the first step for a Moon-colony.

Watch the FoxNews Marxists here; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5E_-CdvnU4

Yes, the Republicans have a slobbering love affair with Moon Colonies and slobber over a human expedition to Mars.

Why, oh why, did so many of our conservative friends whine incessantly when Obambi finally reduced the size of government?

itirksme Wrote: Jan 30, 2012 2:59 PM

What did Obama really did about NASA?

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/02/science/02nasa.html

And;

http://www.thedrunkenconservatives.com/issues/obamas-nasa-2010-in-review-part-2

"Reactions to the cancelling of Constellation were swift and negative. Republican Congressman Ralph Hall of Texas said the Constellation cut will cost tens of thousands of jobs while Republican Congressman Pete Olson of Texas specified the number of cuts further by saying the Constellation cancellation will cost jobs nationwide. Twenty-seven other members of the Texas congressional delegation joined with Olsen in a letter urging unspent stimulus money go to NASA."

Let the non-Republican, non-Marxists of the USA, finally, UNITE!

My Redeemer Wrote: Jan 30, 2012 10:19 AM

We are all upset about this. The media and establishment are painting a picture of Romney as a concervative candidate, those of us that pay attention know he's not. BUT he seems to be leading in the polls not that I always believe the polls but not all people pay attention as we do they just believe what the media and establishment tell them. I would encourage as many people who have it in their heart to change things to do as I did and write the RNC chairman (if you are republican) and let them know as I did that after this primary I'm changing my party because the republican party does not represent me anymore. They are as cunning and dishonest as the left and I'm done.

Earl29 Wrote: Jan 30, 2012 10:02 AM

Interesting.
However, the bottom line is that Romney still supports incividual mandates which is inconsistent with liberty. Depriving people of their liberty without due process of law is wrong, and unconstitutional on the national and the state level. Romneycare is as unconstitutional as Obamacare.

WallyOzzy Wrote: Jan 30, 2012 12:00 PM

"For it is not glory, it is not riches, neither is it honours, but it is liberty alone that we fight and contend for, which no honest man will lose but with his life" GET IT ? Our founding document !
Wallace

Leb2 Wrote: Jan 30, 2012 9:25 AM

Romney says Romneycare is great, then says Obamacare is no good. Which is which? Romney tells lies and half truths, wants us to believe what he says and he will better than Obama? Even Soros has come out and said Romney/Obama no difference. It's time to think and use our minds when we vote, not just do what we're told. Think, Newt is the one, listen to the man.

Dr_Zinj Wrote: Jan 30, 2012 9:16 AM

The point Obama and Romney both miss is that it is an abomination to force people to pay for other's insurance. I'd love full medical care. But I can't afford it. So I buy what I can afford, and accept the risk. But I sure as heck am not holding a gun to somebody's head to force him to pay for my care; which is exactly what having the government require healthcare is doing.
Refuse to buy health insurance, refuse to pay the fine, and the government will send big guys with guns to force you to comply.

true liberal Wrote: Jan 30, 2012 8:14 AM

No conservative would have ever dreamed up RomneyCare. It is the same kind that dreamt up ObamaCare.

Santorum is right and needs the support of conservatives. It is time to drop the Romney RINO

Norm183 Wrote: Jan 30, 2012 6:19 AM

It all about gaming the system. The reason people do this is that we have already become a socialist nation including corporations, It didn't take them long to figure out that it will cost them less to pay the fine for not covering their employees than to give them employer sponsored healthcare. It's all about money the haves want to keep it and the have nots want to steal it from the haves. The federal gov't will never understand how to run a business, healthcare, energy, etc. hence the tons of regulations trying to cover everything and loawyers paid to find loopholes. Hey, I'm becoming a cynic.

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