One of your claims is actually applied to auto insurance; many states require that you carry a minimum level of insurance, usually liability and collision. Basically, before you’re allowed to drive, you have to be provably be able to pay for any damages that occur while you’re driving, if you’re at fault. This still has nothing to do with health insurance, which is basically covering yourself, not other people.

Regardless, I don’t really see how the state is at fault for anything much here. Most places do not force people or employers to purchase certain levels of health insurance (although they do give a discount). The only thing I can think of is to start making company-sponsored health care less attractive to the companies, and more attractive to purchase personally. Why is it so expensive to purchase private health insurance? COBRA is, for all practical purposes, unfordable to even well-compensated families. What is Stossel’s solution? If higher co-pays lead to lower premiums and lower costs then The Market should cause companies to shift, right?

I think the problem is that there is generally limited choice in health plans provided by an employer, and that going outside of the employer is not really a good option for most people.

I also notice that lower-income citizens are left out of this discussion altogether. Do we have any responsibility to preserve the health of those who cannot afford insurance?