From: Lee Daniel Crocker (lee@piclab.com)
Date: Mon Jul 10 2000 - 21:12:22 MDT
> Not everyone. I for example, have not kept health insurance in over ten years,
> have not had any health problems that a trip to the local drug store and some
> bed rest could not cure. I estimate I have saved over $25,000.00 in insurance
> premiums in that time. I know that insurance, private or public, is merely a con
> game to get healthy people like me to pay for other people's problems. Now I'm
> going to be painted as a cruel, cruel, and selfishly mean person for living this
> way. Too bad. Its my money.
I certainly don't begrudge your choice, and I'm sure I'm one of those
who has paid a lot more in premiums than I ever got in benefits--even
after the MRI, ENG, and other tests and drugs I got for my Meniere's
Disease (maybe about $3-4000). I do pay cash for dental work.
But I would point out that health insurance is not /entirely/ a scam
or redistribution system. As much as Rand would hate to admit it,
shit happens. There really are completely random events that can
cost people hundreds of thousands of dollars; even the healthiest,
most conscientious people. Nothing in Kennita's lifestyle, for
example, caused her MS--she just happened to be the one. You or I
could be next. I prefer to think of health insurance as a hedged
bet; sure the house percentage is high if you're healthy, and the
system as a whole may encourage unhealthful practices, but I still
want the hedge, because losing the bet is a killer.
-- Lee Daniel Crocker <lee@piclab.com> <http://www.piclab.com/lee/> "All inventions or works of authorship original to me, herein and past, are placed irrevocably in the public domain, and may be used or modified for any purpose, without permission, attribution, or notification."--LDC
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