“Truthout” is an on-line news reporting service that provides readers with a selection of liberal or progressive commentators and articles. The service seems to be in continuous financial crisis and is always appealing to its readers for contributions. I have contributed, but not much and not often. I would receive “Truthout” emails, even if I contributed nothing. I would then be a “free rider.” If all the readers were free riders, the service would end.
Last week Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of Health and Human Services, issued a rule that insurance companies could not raise their rates more than 10% a year. The president of America’s Health Insurance Plans, an industry lobbying group, protested. She said that rate increases of more than 10% cold be justified by rising health care costs and (and I will highlight this), the tendency of younger, healthier people to drop coverage, forcing up costs for other policyholders.
Those people who drop coverage are the free riders. They probably won’t get sick, but if they do, we pay. That is why the health care bill requires everyone to purchase insurance. No free riders allowed.
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