[louthy]

Because you've eaten a burger, lived in a city, work in a chemicals factory, driven a car, crossed a road, [insert anything else that increases the chance of death or illness], ...

Everyone gets ill, everyone dies, smokers in most countries pay additional taxes on every packet of cigarettes they buy. But, even if they didn't, having a national insurance scheme (as we have in the UK), is the best way of spreading the risk of costly healthcare.

When you buy insurance you're not subsidising anybody, you're joining a pot of individuals who are trying to lower the overall risk of high medical bills. The more people, the easier it is to absorb exceptional costs.

[ryandrake]

OP succinctly summed up the exact reason universal single-payer healthcare will never be politically viable in the USA. The “why should I pay for something that also helps other people” attitude is pervasive and unstoppable here. People here won’t even do so much as put a piece of cloth over their faces to help keep others healthy while they buy their Ranch dressing and chow down on Buffalo Wild Wings. You think they’re going to put up with paying a little more in taxes for universal healthcare?