Health-care coverage

November 26, 1993

In the Opinion page article ``Reform Health Care Where Consensus Exists,'' Nov. 9, the authors advocate mandatory community rating by health insurers, but resist mandatory employer-provided coverage. The result: Premiums will rise for young and healthy individuals, and many of them and their employers will decline coverage rather than subsidize insurance for the ill and elderly. Rising premiums will drive away more of the young and healthy, until only the ill and elderly retain coverage, if they can afford it. Community rating can only work with mandatory coverage. Eric J. Klieber, Cleveland Heights, Ohio

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