When is broccoli like health insurance? The ongoing debate of mandated health insurance

This month, the Supreme Court is set to rule on Healthcare Reform, Affordable Care Act, or “Obamacare”.  The Supreme Court argument seems to be hinged on the analogy of broccoli. Broccoli is healthy and good for you, however, no one is forcing you to buy and eat broccoli.  This argument appears to be the philosophical linchpin that the justices are trying to decide: does mandated health insurance coverage create a new precedent that government can force a person to have something that is considered optional.  The crux of the debate is the word optional.  A 23 year old doesn’t believe that she needs health insurance so she doesn’t obtain it.  (Who can blame her, health insurance is expensive for a 23 year old.)  So, what happens if this 23 year old gets injured and requires expensive ER-trauma care or an expensive surgery?  Yes, that’s right, the costs get passed onto insurance carrying Americans.  For years, health insurance works on the business of funding those who do not have health insurance with those who do not.  A visit to the ER these days starts around $1000; this cost is not only for your care, but the care of the other patients who are unable to pay for their service.  Looking at our broccoli analogy, it would mean that there are people who are in need of lifesaving broccoli who get it for free while others who pay for their broccoli pay double, triple, or ten times the original broccoli price.  (The broccoli analogy falls apart at this point.)