[Strangler Lewis]

It seems like a better analogy would be that since education is so important to ensuring a trained work force and a law abiding populace that there should be public schools and that those who do not have children should pay for the education of all to a minimum level rather than leaving them to learn citizenship and civics in the gutter or at their megachurch, yeshiva or madrassah. And those who are armed to the teeth should pay for the police protection of those who are not.

At any rate, I don't think the legitimacy of requiring people to get health insurance can be questioned so long as we can identify some societal consequence of their failure to do so. I haven't looked into it deeply enough to say what's better. It may be that the societal consequence is akin to those behind seatbelt and helmet laws. It may also be that leaving people the "choice" of going uninsured means extra burdens on public hospitals, also a legitimate consideration in my opinion.