“Then ask if ALL of us should pay thousands of dollars more, every year, in taxes, so obese drug addicts and alcoholics can have the SAME health insurance as those who WORK FOR A LIVING and LIVE A RESPONSIBLE LIFE! “
Do you have an individual policy or does your employer pay for part of it?
Many people have pre-existing conditions, or perhaps a brush with something serious, like cancer, and cannot afford health insurance.
The GOP is going to have to do more than simply oppose nationalized healthcare. They are going to have to find a way to cover folks who presently are unable to purchase coverage, but want to.
I think the GOP is simply going to seek to perpetuate the status quo? Over time, this is a losing position, and may well be already. If there is no alternative to socialized medicine (besides the status quo) then we will get socialized medicine.
There are very very FEW people who want insurance and do not have insurance.
Every state in the union has an “assigned risk” pool, where insurance can be purchased, or they have mandated “guaranteed issue” rules, with companies that do business in their states, to issue certain policies.
YES, the premiums are expensive -—
But you should understand math, if you truly are an “engineer” -—
Insurance uses the “law of large numbers” and is intended for infrequent, LARGE expenses.
Much of our “uninsured” consists of dead beats who REFUSE to even pay for their company offered group insurance.
Then they get sick.
Then they DEMAND that the rest of us pay for their irresponsible behavior?
NO, I do not think so.
Bad things happen in life.
However, the taxpayers are NOT responsible for those who refused to purchase insurance PRIOR to their needs!
Health Savings Accounts are a big solution.
Also, we could reduce or eliminate the “income threshold” or percentage threshold for health care expense deductions, on our income taxes.
And, before you dismiss my “deadbeat” comments, please recall the Candidate Obama said basically the same thing, during the campaign. Obama stated that he might support “garnishment” of wages, in cases where employees refused to voluntarily step to the plate and be responsible about paying their insurance premiums.