Gingrich: All have a responsibility to pay for health care

David Gregory asks Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich (R-GA) about Gingrich’s earlier comments that seem to support an individual mandate. Gingrich says he believes in a variation of something kind of like an individual mandate.

MR. GREGORY: All right, let me ask you about another hot-button issue in the Republican primary , of course, and that's health care . Mitt Romney having to defend his proponent -- that he was a proponent of universal health care in Massachusetts , and specifically around this idea of the individual mandate where you make Americans buy insurance if they don't have it. Now, I know you've got big difference with what you call Obamacare . But back in 1993 on this program this is what you said about the individual mandate. Watch.

REP. GINGRICH: I am for people, individuals -- exactly like automobile insurance -- individuals having health insurance and being required to have health insurance . And I am prepared to vote for a voucher system which will give individuals, on a sliding scale, a government subsidy so we insure that everyone as individuals have health insurance .

MR. GREGORY: What you advocate there is precisely what President Obama did with his healthcare legislation, is it not?

REP. GINGRICH: No, it's not precisely what he did. In, in the first place , Obama basically is trying to replace the entire insurance system, creating state exchanges, building a Washington - based model, creating a federal system . I believe all of us -- and this is going to be a big debate -- I believe all of us have a responsibility to help pay for health care . I think the idea that...

MR. GREGORY: You agree with Mitt Romney on this point.

REP. GINGRICH: Well, I agree that all of us have a responsibility to pay -- help pay for health care . And, and I think that there are ways to do it that make most libertarians relatively happy. I've said consistently we ought to have some requirement that you either have health insurance or you post a bond...

MR. GREGORY: Mm-hmm.

REP. GINGRICH: ...or in some way you indicate you're going to be held accountable.

MR. GREGORY: But that is the individual mandate, is it not?

REP. GINGRICH: It's a variation on it.

MR. GREGORY: OK.

REP. GINGRICH: But it's a system...

MR. GREGORY: And so you won't use that issue against Mitt Romney .

REP. GINGRICH: No. But it's a system which allows people to have a range of choices which are designed by the economy. But I think setting the precedent -- you know, there are an amazing number of people who think that they ought to be given health care . And, and so a large number of the uninsured earn $75,000 or more a year, don't buy any health insurance because they want to buy a second house or a better car or go on vacation. And then you and I and everybody else ends up picking up for them. I don't think having a free rider system in health is any more appropriate than having a free rider system in any other part of our society.