Originally Posted by Libertine

That's actually not true. If you get into a motorcycle accident and sustain severe injuries, doctors are required to help you. They don't have a choice in the matter.

Now, let's say you actually do get into a really bad accident. It would be quite easy to rack up a $25k bill before you even gain consciousness again.

Of course, that's not the end of it, because in such a case you'd be likely die within days or even hours if you were removed from the hospital. So, let's add another $25k to make sure you stay alive. That's $50k so far - more than most uninsured people could afford to pay.

Without even going going into the possibility of permanent damage (partial paralysis, brain damage, etc), that leaves the taxpayer with a pretty big amount of money paid that in in most cases isn't going to come back if the patient is uninsured.

The risk in the bet you are taking is more often than not passed on to the taxpayer. And that's why mandatory health insurance is a good thing - it makes sure people cannot choose to get a "free ride" that others end up paying for.

The only "reasonable" alternative entails having people literally die in the streets and on the doorsteps of hospitals because they're uninsured. And that's a situation most people simply do not want.