Sebelius Says Everyone Should Have Health Insurance

AP) – Health secretary nominee Kathleen Sebelius says everyone should have health coverage but she avoided endorsing the idea of making individuals legally responsible for seeing that they’re insured.

Sebelius was responding to questions from Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, who proposed a so-called individual mandate in his own health overhaul plan.

Baucus noted that during the presidential campaign Barack Obama proposed mandating that all children be insured – but not all adults. He asked Sebelius if she supported an individual mandate and whether she believes all Americans should be insured. Right now, some 48 million are not.

Sebelius said she agrees with the president that all Americans should have health coverage, but she didn’t address the issue of making it mandatory.