I never understood why a law to help people should make it mandatory for people to get the help. If they don't want help, they shouldn't be fined and forced to participate. Sure, they won't later be able to get any medical treatment and may die on the street, but they made their choice.

Personal responsibility and personal freedom should always be considered. In America, as anyone can tell by reading a few messages in the political topics, people are free to be idiots, and/or to act against their own best interests. There should be no law against that.

Well, not quite...In theory what you wrote makes some kind of sense...but in practice it does not. These irresponsible folks show up in ERs and in other government subsidized health and rehabilitation programs.

All other industrialize and democratic countries have had to impose mandatory contribution to HC deliveries...we also do such through social security, medicare, VA hospitals, etc.