Can someone explain to me if I'm wrong on Clinton's Healthcare Plan? [View All]

[Meldread]

This seems to be one of her most highly touted issues, but I am not seeing all the glamour. I'm guessing most people here on DU are middle to upper class people, so might not really understand the plight of those who have financial difficulties (read: poor). The Clinton Welfare Reform did a lot to hurt a lot of people, and I can tell you from personal experience with members of my own family that there are people out there who need welfare and can't get it. There is an arbitrary "poverty line" drawn in the sand. Because people worked their entire lives to pay off their home, or were lucky enough to be given land by a relative they are considered ineligible for many welfare programs. These are people without health insurance. These are people who NEED health insurance.

Hillary's Healthcare plan demands that all American's be covered. They have to pay for it. There is a claim that if you have trouble making payments that the government will help you out. Yet, as I look at many extended members of my family who have tried to get government assistance but could not, for various reasons, all of whom who do not have health care, I wonder if a similar system exists in Hillary's Healthcare Plan. I wonder if they will be penalized for crossing an arbitrary line drawn up by some asshole in Washington, and will be penalized and have to pay a fine for not being able to afford the healthcare she promised them.

In effect, what I see Hillary's plan doing in reality is forcing people to buy something they can't afford and then punishing them for not being able to afford it.

I think we can all agree that the poverty line in this country is way too high, there are lots of people, who are not homeless or even jobless, who simply cannot qualify for various reasons. Hell, there are some people who are homeless and jobless but still can't qualify.

Am I wrong in how I view Hillary's plan and if I am can someone explain it to me? It is one of the reasons I prefer Obama's plan. Even if everyone is not covered, for whatever reason, at least they are not being punished. From what I understand the main difference between the plans is one being mandatory and the other being optional. Obama's plan also seems to be focused on lowering premiums, which is supposed to be good for everyone.

Also, I believe both plans still heavily rely on private insurance companies, am I correct? By making it mandatory isn't that effectively selling out to the insurance companies by punishing those who can't afford it and telling them that, by law, they now must purchase something they can't afford?

I might have it all wrong, of course - I'm not a policy wonk. That's why I'm asking for someone to break it down for me. The primaries are coming up in my state on the 12th and I have people asking me questions about Hillary's plan.