(Daily Herald) – In his speech to Congress, President Obama said “under my plan, individuals will be required to carry basic health insurance – just as most states require you to carry auto insurance.”

I was surprised President Obama compared his plan to auto insurance. Illinois requires a meager $40,000 coverage for death or injury – with a limit of $20,000 per person. This law is horribly inadequate! A serious injury can result in $200,000 in medical bills, many times higher than the required $20,000 of coverage. Most states have similar, ridiculously low requirements. California only mandates $15,000 for the death or injury of a person, and $30,000 if more than one person is killed or injured.

If I wrote President Obama’s speech I would have avoided any mention of state auto insurance laws, because it reminds voters that government insurance programs always end up being underfunded and inadequate. Medicare is another example of an inadequate government insurance program. Many doctors won’t take Medicare patients because the reimbursement is inadequate. VA hospitals are yet another government program where reports of inadequate care are easy to find.

Finally, President Obama stated that illegal aliens won’t be covered. But, if we make the mistake of creating taxpayer subsidized health care, how will we prevent illegal aliens from sneaking into it? Federal law prohibits illegal aliens from working in the U.S., but we haven’t rigorously enforced that law for decades. Likewise, our government will turn a blind eye when illegal aliens sign up for the subsidized health care.