(This is a follow up post to one from earlier this month.)
You’re not going to like what follows. It is the reality that seems to evade much of today’s world. Think of National Healthcare as a gigantic insurance policy that would protect us from catastrophic medical expenses. The devilish details are all centered on plan cost.
You probably have many forms of insurance, homeowners, auto, life, etc. All those plans carry premium costs and are based on information you provide when you buy the insurance coverage. If you admit to racing your car weekly at a local rally, you may be required to pay an extra high premium because the risk of damage will be higher. If you engage in hazardous sports like skydiving, alligator wrestling or base jumping, your life insurance premium will be higher. The point here is that premiums assume that the insured (you) will qualify for standard rate premiums IF you do nothing to increase the risk of loss while insured. And so it is with health insurance…or should I say “That’s how it should be”.
Without judging lifestyle habits, and purely from a cost viewpoint, let’s look at how Americans live. Most of us are obese. And that leads to heart and skeletal issues. Many still smoke and that leads to lung problems. We drink to excess and that causes liver and kidney damage. The list goes on—you get the idea. Now translate all those bad habits into $$$$$$ and you see why we will never be able to afford a safety net that covers our medical costs.
It’s a partnership. When you buy homeowners insurance, it is assumed that you won’t start a charcoal grill in your basement–simply because you have insurance if the house burns down. When you buy auto coverage, it’s assumed that you won’t participate in a demolition derby–simply because you have insurance if the car is destroyed. Then why do people think that they can act irresponsibly with their bodies because they have medical insurance? IT’S A PARTNERSHIP. You do your part by using common sense and the insurance company does its part by reimbursing you when unforeseen occurrences cause you monetary loss. Eating until you weigh 400 pounds is not doing your part. Drinking heavily several times a week is not an appropriate way to protect your liver from damage and unforeseen costs.
Until Americans understand that medical insurance is a two way street we will never have a national healthcare plan. We simply can’t afford the US lifestyle.
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