The fact that we have healthcare insurers right now is an indication of a broken system. There is an entire industry built upon the chance that someone, somewhere will become ill or injured. It is the equivalent of legalized, nation-wide, gambling system.
I see no reason to force the "house" to support the high-risk population (smokers, pre-diagnosed, low-income). They have to make a calculated profit in order to succeed. Nobody "deserves" anything but "life" and "liberty". Some have let the 'American dream' go to their heads and believe everyone "deserves" a roof over their heads, food on the table, a loving wife, and three children. These are things to earned. The government shouldn't have to subsidize people's way of life. One facet of a free market economy is that, by nature, some group has to lose; some people have to be the working class.
The real issue is that providing healthcare itself is too expensive. A few days in a hospital bed, or having an MRI, or even a simple operation costs so much that the "average Joe" can't afford it. Now, I'm not living in a fantasy land, I do realize there are real labor and materials costs associated with all of the above, but a large portion of the cost comes simply from legal fees. Liability insurance for hospitals and individual practitioners alike is incredibly expensive, and that cost gets passed onto us.
Government intervention in the healthcare industry isn't a sign that insurers are inadequate, it is a clear message that providers (Clinics, Hospitals, etc) are bloated and need further legal protections so that they might finally be able to offer decent service at affordable prices.
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