Post
by Damok » Mon Mar 24, 2008 5:09 am
First before I give what will surely be a very unpopular opinion on this subject let me say this… My wife and I are Buddhists so obviously we don’t wish ill will on anyone, and it is a shame that due to someone’s complete lack of maturity that these peoples lives were harmed however… We also believe in personal responsibility, something for which this country has seemed to have forgotten.
While obviously the accident was not your fault, your financial situation completely is due to your lack of and planning for the future in the event of a catastrophe. My wife and I have both owned several businesses so we know how hard it can be to make ends meet, however disability insurance is just about the cheapest thing on the planet as far as insurances go, and while you should have been paying into the system, at a minimum you should have at least carried disability insurance on your self, Its generally less than $200.00 per year and if your business could not afford $200.00 to ensure that you can survive in the event you are disabled, than your business model is seriously flawed and you should seek the advice of a business advisor. (Those are also often available at low or no cost to small businesses via your small business council)
Finally, I find this countries views on Health Care rather bizarre and hypocritical. We do not live in a socialist country, so there is no actual provision for healthcare for the poor. Now before you go thinking I am a heartless Poo-Head, understand that the world seems to rally for healthcare for the poor, when many times it the Middle Class who are hardest hit by the healthcare system. For example. Last month we forked out almost $1500.00 for medication that was not covered by our insurance for my wife, if she had been poor and went to the local county hospital for the same medication, the cost would have been based on her income, which would have meant that the medication would have cost her around $80.00.
Also people seem to get upset like when a Doctor wants to bill you for your treatment up front when you have no insurance. What’s wrong with that? You wouldn’t expect to walk into the car dealership with a 10 year old car and have them send you a bill for $2000.00 would you? So why should you expect that from a Doctor? Plus do you have any idea how many people actually pay their medical bills, better than 60% of them have to go to collections before people pay them. In addition to this, that doctor you just saw probably has a $1500.00+ per month student loan bill, and the nurse, well someone has to pay her salary and you need x-rays, well I don’t know what X-ray machines cost these days, but I bet its a lot of money.
On a final note, I agree that healthcare in general in this country sucks, and while I would love to see a world where everyone could get quality healthcare at a reasonable price, it’s not apt to happen anytime soon. We had a friend who was a Doctor in Canada a few years back who moved to the US because there with their socialized medicine you will likely die from Kidney failure before you get dialyses. I hear these days it has gotten better, but I don’t really know as I don’t live there.
