Re: “,” Dec. 6 Ramesh Ponnuru column.
Ramesh Ponnuru says the Obamacare mandate can be removed with only a small effect on the health system. It appears to me his reasoning is too short-term and misses a larger point. People who only pay into the system when they are old or sick will never pay enough to cover their lifetime health costs. This is called gaming the system, and it causes everyone else to pay more. This should not be allowed. Everyone must pay into the system over their entire life, an amount that equals the national average health cost per person over their entire life. Otherwise the system will have solvency problems, like Social Security. Preventing people from gaming the system is the only way the financial numbers will work. We need the mandate.
Richard D. Watkins, Denver
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