Maggie's Farm

Regarding the curve for medical care: price is only one element of supply or demand. I know at least one person (I shave him daily) who avoids most health care involvement. I have as good an insurance plan as any ordinary person and better than most. I avoid health care involvement because much of what gets done is annoying to experience and, I believe, will have little benefit for me. The same things may have a lot of benefit for other people. Young people won't break their legs or develop cancer just because they have been compelled to get insurance.
This affects our health care demand. Most people with serious health care needs are having those needs met. Some can pay their own way, many have private insurance and many have some form of government subsidy (I'm actually in the last class as a military retiree). There are surely some people with serious, costly health needs that aren't being met and who would demand more services if they felt they had the resources. Most of the "unmet" healthcare needs are minor, though, and adding these people to the patient pool will have small effects on health care demand. I could be wrong, but I think this line of thought is valid.
There are lots of legal and policy problems with the Demcare law. I hope it can be stopped. But I think it's going to shift the demand curve by a small amount.