mandatory medical coverage?

I've been closely following the health care reform debate that's raging in congress right now. The high cost of health care is a topic I've written about before (and struggled with quite a bit). A challenge to my hopes and beliefs about "giving freely," without asking anything in return—because how can you then expect to pay enormous medical bills?

But my hospital experiences have been good so far (sometimes due to generous doctors, but not always), and my more recent experience with a dentist in town here was really encouraging.

Now it looks like everyone will probably be required to have some form of health insurance. I've avoided insurance because the main reason people usually buy it (fear of future calamity) doesn't seem like a good reason for Christians to be doing anything, much less feeding an industry that makes huge profits from fear. Plus Heather and I can't afford it, even if we did believe in it. And I haven't wanted to go to the government for help, which would basically be saying we need them and their money and depend on them for our health (I've been unsure what to do in the case of kids, though...).

But if the government is demanding that we have insurance (imposing fines for not having it), and also offering free coverage for folks living below the poverty level (like us), then I don't think we need to kick up much fuss. Must submit to those in authority, right?