The current system is covering up huge inequities in coverage and costs in providing care. Uninsured people that show up at the ER hopefully get at least some treatment but pay little or nothing for it. Those costs are absorbed into the system. Once those treatments are itemized and accounted for in a national plan, you will find that Joe the smoker would have to pay 20x more than me to full cover the cost of his treatments. More to the point - you will find that covering healthy people like myself costs 20x less than Joe once the current overhead absorbed by the system is accounted for.
No matter how you account for it - Joe cannot afford to pay for his own lung cancer treatments. His increased premiums do not come close to making up the difference. -Dave Walton On Jan 4, 2008 1:27 PM, Allan Streib <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > "dave walton" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: > > > I have no problem for people accepting the personal responsibility > > to eating junk food and living an unhealthy lifestyle. Should we > > extend that personal responsibility to the point that > > health-conscious people like my myself stop funding health insurance > > plans that perform the bypass operations, chemotherapy, and > > treatment for secondary complications that those fat smoking slobs > > bring upon themselves? > > Yes, in fact it already works that way. If you go out and buy an > individual health insurance plan, as I do, you get a better rate if > you are young, and not a smoker. You can save a lot if you don't want > maternity coverage. Even if you get insurance through your employer, > your employer pays the insurance provider based on claims history. In > a small company, one sickly person with a lot of claims can really > blow the budget at next year's renewal. This is not immediately > obvious if your employer averages the cost across all employees. > > It's the idea that everyone is entitled to a one-size-one-cost health > insurance plan that has removed a lot of the consequences of unhealthy > behavior from the market. > > Joe, a smoker who weighs 250 lbs: "man, I'm paying $X for my insurance > that's crazy" > > Jim, his colleague, a non-smoker who weighs 180 lbs: "really? I only > pay half that..." > > Pretty good incentive for Joe to get healthy. > > > Face it people. The Walmarts of the world are now pushing for a > > national health plan because it will save them money. It's only a > > matter of time. Hopefully the focus will eventually switch from > > treatment to prevention. > > It will only make matters worse, by further removing responsibility > from the individual. Why should I try to stay healthy when I can go > to the doctor anytime I want for "free"? > > > We now tax polluters in an effort to force them to clean up their > > act. Is it any different to tax McDonald's for the increased costs > > they are causing the health insurance industry or to tax cigarettes > > for the costs of treating people with lung cancer? > > Yes, because generally you can't avoid pollution as a matter of > personal choice. What you eat and what you deliberately inhale *are* > your choices. > > Allan > -- > > 1983 300D > 1966 230 > > _______________________________________ > http://www.okiebenz.com > For new parts see official list sponsor: http://www.buymbparts.com/ > For used parts email [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: > http://okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com > _______________________________________ http://www.okiebenz.com For new parts see official list sponsor: http://www.buymbparts.com/ For used parts email [EMAIL PROTECTED] To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: http://okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com
