No, it wasn't. Only in your mythology you used to justify screwing us all over, has it "always been the case".
Oh, right, so millions of people didn't have to choose between healthcare and putting food on the table before? then explain why so many people didn't have healthcare before Obamacare then?
Huh? Really? After all this time, you never heard the facts?
First of, according to the US census, 40% of those without insurance, were making over $50,000 a year. If you make over $50,000 a year and don't have insurance, it's because you bought a house, car, beer, and speed boat, instead of getting insurance.
Further, 20% of those, were living in households making $75K or more. No excuses.
Only 30% made less than $25,000 a year.
Moreover, about 10% are illegals, which you claim can't get ObamaCare. So why are you complaining they don't have insurance?
Lastly, because they choose to not get insurance. There's a video on YouTube where a reporter asked this girl in California, why she didn't have insurance. She was single, no kids, and had a middle class income. "Well it's too expensive". So they punched in her information, and found she could qualify for a basic health insurance plan and pay just $90 a month. She said straight up "well I think it's ridiculous that I have to pay for health care".
Even more ironic, later in the interview she openly admitted that she easily spent $800 a month on eating out.
I myself went years without health insurance. It was a choice. I could afford it... but choose not to have it. Similarly I know other people who bought health insurance, and then canceled it. They said very openly... why have it? I don't need it. So why pay for it?
Extremely few people simply can't afford health insurance.
And as a final note, even of those, the US Census found that 30% of the uninsured qualified for government insurance, and simply choose to not enroll in Medicaid or S-CHIP, or other programs.
That's why people don't have insurance. It's a choice.
