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If an individual pays their own health care, they have the right to make their own health care decisions. If an individual relies on insurance, the insurance contract governs what is and is not covered. The individual has no moral right to demand anything beyond what’s covered in the policy.

Now the poor and elderly who depend on government provided care are an entirely different matter. If you do nothing to prepare yourself for independence in your retirement, don’t expect other citizens to provide a bottomless pit of money to take care of your health needs in old age. For example, you have no moral right to demand that someone give you $10 million (or anything really) to extend your life a few months.

While I think we are morally obliged to help others, I don’t think that means the individual can help themselves to whatever they want at other people’s expense. In other words, if Mr. Taxpayer is paying, Mr. Taxpayer — not the patient — determines the level of care. People should keep this in mind, because if they don’t like Uncle Sam making the decisions, don’t depend on Uncle Sam for care.

“If an individual pays their own health care, they have the right to make their own health care decisions”

Your autonomy is the biggest “problem” for these Communists in DC...because you’re autonomous....it makes them superfluous...something thei little egos can’t handle.

Unfortunately, such little egos have a history of great violence and destruction when made to face that fact. Such little egos were responsible for most of the 20th century carnage.

That's easier said then done when you realize some nursing homes can cost $15,000 or more per MONTH. It quickly eats into any savings, retirement, home value etc. Especially if you have a couple and one needs nursing home care while the other doesn't and needs to be able to pay normal household bills, including having a car and for their own medical care and insurance. Even if you have Long Term Health insurance, which is very expensive for the average consumer, it usually only covers two years of nursing home care. Not everyone in a nursing home is comatose or has nothing to contribute to society. If anyone, it is these patients that worked all of their lives, lived through the Depression that deserve government assistance if needed. And don't even get me started on nursing home costs. We have three nursing homes in a 5 mile radius of one another and because the government negotiated contracts with them at different times, one charges $9,000 per month, one $12,000 per month and one $15,000. They all provide the same level of care. Whether self pay or Medicaid, this is what they take in per month per patient. There is something wrong with a system that values a life $6,000 more a half a mile up the road! And the funny thing is the“cheapest” of the three may be the best because it was one of the first built in the area, on prime waterfront property. I'm surprised they haven't tried to tare it down to build high priced housing. It's not as glitzy as the other two but has a good staff and is smaller and close knit. I'd rather my tax dollars go there then to some drugged out project filled with gangs in some major city.