Originally Posted by
Winged Wheeler
OK, let's stipulate that this trucker's health insurance is more important than my right to the money that I earned with my time and labor. Let's also recall that money is fungible.
Does this trucker, or any of his covered dependents:
--consume more calories than the RDA?
--use tobacco, alcohol, coffee, or other drugs?
--have expenses for a pet?
--have expenses for a hobby?
--have a TV, computer, or other non-essential computer electronics?
--have expenses for cable, internet etc?
--Do the live in a house that is bigger than they need?
--do they have a car that is bigger than they need?
--do they have other, non-subsistence expenses?
Are any of these expenses more important than my right to keep my own money?
WW
I know what you're getting at (I'm a Dave Ramsey fan and my "hypothetical" trucker was a caller trying to get out of medical debt). The majority of people "hurting" have done it to themselves; an xbox 360 is more important than health insurance. This is not who I care about. I'm talking about a guy who can't get health insurance, not can't afford it. Wants it, but is uninsurable because of a previous heart attack. He could have that heart attack, and you and I will pay for it with higher premiums anyway. He goes bankrupt, we pay. How about we pay, he doesn't go bankrupt?
I make a very good living, I save way more than the average and after 8 years of this I have just reached the point where I can afford my first heart attack if I was denied insurance (damn Great Recession
). How is this guy who might make half what I do supposed to not go bankrupt if no one will give him insurance? What's his motivation to not just give up, stop working and go on Medicaid?