The Amish Health Care Exemption

We've heard about Christian Science and health reform. Now, it turns out, the Amish will also benefit from a "religious conscience" objection to the health care overhaul, the Watertown (N.Y.) Daily Times reports. The newspaper says the Amish "generally rely upon a community ethic that disdains government assistance. Families rely upon one another, and communities pitch in to help neighbors pay health care expenses. ...the Amish objections relate more to insurance than to medical care itself. Congressional aides said the exemption is based on a carve-out the Amish have had from Social Security and Medicare taxes since the 1960s." The article quotes an aide to Senator Schumer calling the provision a "no-brainer," by which he means, you don't need a big brain like Mr. Two-Harvard-Degree Deerslayer Schumer to realize it is an excellent idea. If families relying on one another and communities pitching in to help neighbors works well enough to allow the Amish to opt out, why isn't it a no-brainer to allow the rest of Americans the choice to opt out, too?