Different health care approaches

From a link on the Capitol Fax Blog I saw this Daily Herald article talking about the gubernatorial election. This piece was mostly about proposals for health care. Then I saw this about a plan in Massachusetts. I kind of question if this is the fair thing to do...

Earlier this year, Massachusetts became the first state to require all residents to buy health insurance. Starting next year, people who can afford health coverage but don’t buy it will be penalized on their state income tax. That state’s government will pick up the cost for working class families, and businesses that don’t provide coverage will pay a fee.

I don't think the state has a right to tell you that you must have health insurance. I know that this is an important issue these days but why should a state force you to get health insurance or otherwise face a penalty on their state income tax.

Thankfully though...

Neither Blagojevich nor Topinka favor the Massachusetts model for Illinois.

Whitney, the Green Party candidate, doesn’t like the Massachusetts plan either. He wants to switch to a state-run “single payer” system. He cited a Vermont study that showed a 5.8 percent payroll tax and 2.9 percent income tax in that state could replace insurance premiums and deductibles and provide health care to all residents. No such figures are available for Illinois, a state with 20 times as many people as Vermont.