People get sick and die. Get over it. Any fool knows that personal responsibility means putting money away for emergencies and i have no sympathy for someone who will not take care of themselves.
Is that selfish? No. How can one expect to take care of others if they are not prepared to first ensure (Not INsure) their own health to the best of their ability. How on earth can you take care of your loved ones if you are in poor health yourself?
The fact that is getting lost in this “Health care” debate is that insurance companies are for-profit enterprises. The so-called “Health Care Reform” act just seeks to transfer that profit directly to the government along with all the side benefits of complete government control of our lives.
The insurance company is going to make a profit by betting that you will use less $$ in medical services than you pay them in premiums. Betting (Through fear) that you will have a long term life threatening illness that will soak the insurance company is exactly what drives their profits. They KNOW that more people will pay expensive premiums and NOT get sick and they will therefore make a profit. This will work even better when the government takes over.
The way to beat the odds is self inflicted suffering; make yourself sick by living on high fructose, deep fat, cigarettes and booze while living behind a desk and in front of the TV.
...or you can live a healthy lifestyle and put money away for emergencies like Momma taught me when I was ten years old. I, for one, will not bet against myself or deliberately make myself sick in order to beat the odds.
Insurance companies and governments thrive on fear. Health care professionals, no matter how well intentioned, only make money when people are sick. Doctors, paid by the insurance companies, game the system by actively looking for things that they can bill the insurance companies for and long term treatment regimens that will keep the billing flowing.
Insurance is gambling. The insurance company bets you will live a long and relatively healthy life and you bet that you will suffer long term illness requiring expensive treatment that you have not prepared for or taken steps to avoid. As with all gambling, the odds are stacked in favor of the house.
No doubt some worthy here will pipe up with “Yeah, just wait ‘til you get cancer. Then you’ll change your tune.”
My answer to that is - I already had cancer. Put quite a dent in my savings account, but since I have been saving since I was young and since I am now old, I still have enough to take care of myself, and therefore my family, for as long as I am likely to last. Regardless, I would not expect anyone else, and certainly not the government, to take responsibility. That is mine alone.
Medical bills are responsible for more than 60% of the personal bankruptcies in this country.
Over three-quarters of the people who were ruined financially by bankruptcy already HAD health insurance.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/06/05/bankruptcy.medical.bills/
You can put money away, live a healthy lifestyle, have insurance, and STILL have this happen to you.
But I get it - “People get sick and die. Get over it.”
Put that on your mirror. Next time you get sick and run out of money - which has been considerably dented by your previous bout with cancer (congratulations on your successful battle, btw) that sentiment should comfort you and your family.