[jacquesm]

Those are far from the only causes of health issues. The 'nanny state' will save your precious ass too if you ever should need it, even if you never use sugar, only call using lamp post connected payphones, do not smoke, do not drink and so on.

[patronagezero]

Yet living responsibility has clearly put me into a different cost bracket as opposed to the useful idiots. I've never been to the dentist, have straight cavity-free teeth, and never needed to see a doctor aside from once, where I paid cash. The only wrecks I've been involved in where the other driver's fault. I was reimbursed $1100 for a '89 prelude with a brand new engine and perfect body/chassis (less than 90k miles). It was a ripoff in every sense. That was my benefit for paying for uninsured motorist. The driver that hit me had no insurance, no driver's license, and no papers for the van. In fact I'm pretty sure she was high on prescription pills at the time. I would have rather saved the years of paying insurance, and had enough to buy a brand-new car.

When you consider how much insurance money (all taxpayer money) goes to the chronically obese, diabetic and generally unhealthy people of america, verses all the payees, perhaps you could see your point has no bearing with me.

The funny thing is, your (evidently) supported system will pay for me anyways in an event of the unexpected, as well as cutting me huge benefits in how much it'll cost as a result of having no money on the books. Enjoy.

The hospital will check's your income and account balances respective to your credit and work out some price they think you can actually pay. I watch my (health) uninsured friend's car accidient go from 80k to 20k when they had around 80k in savings. The prices are over-inflated because of the insurance industry, but don't let me stop anyone's religious belief in this ridiculous social system.

[jacquesm]

(1) it's not as if the USs system of health insurance is the only option for more or less affordable health care for the masses

(2) you are lucky because (1) you were born in the right place (2) at the right time (3) have good marketable skills

One day about a decade ago I fell through the cracks in all the systems in spite of having paid for healthcare my whole life long and never using it up to that point, my gall bladder gave out and I paid for the operation out of pocket. No big issue for me. But I do realize that what was 'no big issue for me' would have been a huge issue for lots of people around me.

As for the insurance system: I prefer the system the way it was here before, where all healthcare is simply paid out of taxes rather than through commercial compulsory insurance. Though the tax based system has some inefficiencies it is definitely preferable because there are less opportunities for companies to enrich themselves at the expense of the service level in public healthcare. The differences between then and now are remarkable, people go without treatment for months to push the deductible to the next year and then end up with far worse issues than they had before.

On the whole, about 10 steps back.

Anyway, I hope you live a long, happy and healthy life.

[patronagezero]

Luck has nothing to do with genetics or the history that created them. Any system that requires the coercion of subjects to submit against their will for it to be successful (it isn't and will not be) is a foolish approach to an individual's struggles through life. No one should order me to care about every drug addled fool on the street, it's not my concern. Nor is it my concern that some people cannot figure out what a healthy diet is, or how to build a marketable skill. I grew up in a bum-fuck nowhere and got into programming without college, schooled at home and no connections to the industry. I know enough immigrants to know this is possible for anyone working hard. I grew up with a 486 in the age of Pentiums because my father invested. Your ideas are trite and old, constantly disproved. But keep holding the large stick and acting like you're not trying to control other peoples lives, it will end up driving this country apart.

[dantle]

You may have a low risk profile and good health, but if you ever need medical care you'll be spending less money on it if you have insurance. Theoretically insurance companies operate by charging you a rate around (or slightly higher than, to buffer for business overhead and risk) your expected cost. Unfortunately in America, insurance is an unusually "good deal" for consumers because it gives you access to the insurance company's price leveraging. Meaning, the bottom line cost of the procedure (at "insurance rate") will be significantly discounted from what you'd pay with cash. Thus, companies grant insurance based on the rates they pay.

Here's a more thorough explanation.

https://alecstapp.wordpress.com/2013/06/13/should-bill-gates...