One of the dirty little secrets about the uninsured that went unmentioned in Michael Moore's documentary, “Sicko,” is that a significant percentage of those going bare appear to be making enough money to afford health insurance, but for some reason choose not to buy it. The question for those backing universal coverage is whether these “free riders” should be forced to pay premiums or penalized if they show up for care without a policy.
That question has been at the heart of the debate between Democrats Barack Obama (who would not mandate coverage, except for children) and Hillary Clinton (who would insist that everyone get on board–although she's vague about enforcement).
What got my attention was an op-ed piece today in “Newsday” by Froma Harrop, a syndicated columnist based at “The Providence Journal” in Rhode Island, headlined: “'Free Riders' Must Be Part Of Health Debate.”
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