It's been tried before.

I have argued along with many economists and other conservatives that Obama is being disingenuous when he says that we will be able to keep our current insurance. That's because when the government enacts all its regulations, private insurers will go belly up. The other aspect of that is that when the government offers a cheaper alternative, many employers will drop their coverage.

As it turns out, experience proves that's exactly what happens. John Goodman is president of the National Center for Policy Analysis. He says the U.S. population lacking insurance has been around 15 percent over the past decade. Enrollment in Medicaid and various states' Children's Health Insurance Programs has grown, but has barely put a dent in the rate. "As we have expanded free, government-provided insurance in the public sector, the private sector has contracted because employers find that their employees would rather have wages if they can sign up for free coverage from the government. So the Medicaid program and the S-CHIP program are crowding out private insurance. We keep adding to the taxpayer burden, but we're not reducing the percent of the population that's uninsured." So much for "the government has a better way" and "universal coverage."

"Quarter of Texans uninsured." The Dallas Morning News; September 11, 2009; p. 14A.