For Obamacare To Work,  Everybody Must Be In                                              

Two beliefs continue to shape debate on Obamacare. First, pre-existing conditions shouldn’t prevent people from obtained affordable health insurance. And second, people who don’t want health insurance shouldn’t be forced by the government to purchase it.

Robert Frank,  Cornell professor of economics, New York Times, August 4, 2013

Economists call it adverse selection,

It may determine the next election.

  For health exchanges to succeed.

among economists, it is agreed,

the sick and healthy must both be in the exchanges,

Or premiums for all will rise above acceptable ranges.

If both are not in, a vicious irreversible cycle will ensue,

Health care premiums the healthy will no longer pursue.

Coverage will become too expensive for all,

And Obamacare will experience a great fall.

The  adverse-selection curse  is this,

  You cannot achieve universal bliss.

By preventing the sick from getting badly needed care,

While forcing the healthy to pay, by saying it is only fair.