[Winona Online Democracy] Personal responsibility, If I smoke and that contributes to the degradation of my health I should pay more. Check ups we should all pay for ourselves. That is not a big cost. The health care system is not our nanny. There needs to be an incentive for taking care of ourselves. I am obese, why should someone else pay for the problems that causes me. Check ups if we need them are the lowest cost part of the system. It is my problem. Not the government, my employer, healthcare system, or anyone else. Until we have destitute people who need the social welfare system and it is good it is available, we need personal responsibility. Therefore those with less risk should pay less...
Tom O. Severson 265 E. Mark Box 736 Winona, Mn. 55987 507 452 3402 ext 214 Direct 452 4743 Office Switchboard [EMAIL PROTECTED] -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of terri hyle Sent: Thursday, February 12, 2004 8:53 AM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: RE: [Winona] Is it time for the discussion? Polygamy [Winona Online Democracy] Tom, and everybody: ALL of us need regular office visits with our physicians. Hopefully, these will just be well-care visits, but regular check ups are an extremely important part of catching and treating any health problems while they are still small and very treatable--or preventable. I believe in universal health care coverage, but to tell the absolute truth, I haven't seen a plan that I really like. In Europe, health care is universal and free, but also rationed--not what I want for myself or my loved ones. Based on my dealings with Medicare on behalf of my mother, I certainly do NOT want this model for any of us, including our seniors. And I understand employers' frustration about the difficulty and expense in providing good health care benefits to employees. However, I know more than a few people who are in their present positions precisely because they need and want the health care benefits provided by their employers. And should employers pull out of health care altogether, leaving health care coverage to individuals, the following would happen (based, actually, on what really happens now): 1. Insurance companies would have even greater power since there would no longer be blocks of employers/employees (and customers) acting together to get the best deal possible. We'd all be on our own. It's not like the insurance industry is well regulated now. 2. People who felt they could go without health insurance or who only wanted/could afford to pay for catestrophic coverage would then do what the uninsured/underinsured do now: go without, run up medical bills and either ruin their credit ratings trying to pay for them or simply not pay, meaning that the medical provider would eat the cost to a certain extent, but that the rest of us would get to help pay for those bills (including collection costs and lawyer/court fees) in the form of higher medical costs. We'd all lose. 3. OR People would simply avoid going to the doctor except for the very most serious illnesses, which would be harder to treat, requiring a more extensive (and expensive) course of treatment. Not only would the patient lose, but so would we all with the loss of productivity of our workforce as workers are forced to stay home longer to recuperate or care for sick loved ones AND/OR see No. 2. And of course, in general, well care (immunizations, important screenings for cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart conditions, etc.) would become more expensive as economies of scale would be lost as fewer people I really wish I had good solutions, instead of pointing out flaws. Terri Hyle _________________________________________________________________ Click here for a FREE online computer virus scan from McAfee. http://clinic.mcafee.com/clinic/ibuy/campaign.asp?cid=3963 _______________________________________________ This message was posted to Winona Online Democracy All messages must be signed by the senders actual name. No commercial solicitations are allowed on this list. To manage your subscription or view the message archives, please visit http://mapnp.mnforum.org/mailman/listinfo/winona Any problems or suggestions can be directed to mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] If you want help on how to contact elected officials, go to the Contact page at http://www.winonaonlinedemocracy.org _______________________________________________ This message was posted to Winona Online Democracy All messages must be signed by the senders actual name. No commercial solicitations are allowed on this list. To manage your subscription or view the message archives, please visit http://mapnp.mnforum.org/mailman/listinfo/winona Any problems or suggestions can be directed to mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] If you want help on how to contact elected officials, go to the Contact page at http://www.winonaonlinedemocracy.org
