Mandate minus price controls may increase healthcare costs

In the drive to bring health coverage to almost every American, lawmakers have largely rejected restrictions on how much insurers can charge, sparking fears that consumers will continue to face the skyrocketing premium increases. The legislators' reluctance to control premium costs comes despite the fact that they intend to require virtually all Americans to get health insurance, a mandate that would mark the first time the federal government has compelled consumers to buy a single industry's product and effectively create a captive market, according to the Los Angeles Times.