Is affordable health insurance a right? Or a consumer product?

1 Comment

  • Mekhong Kurt - 14 years ago

    I was a little surprised to see that such a relatively low percentage of people voting in this poll voted the option I did, i.e., "I can't decide; it's a little bit of both."

    I'm 58, and for much of my life fought weight, though for the past few years I've stayed in a reasonably healthy range. But for years I was overweight, at one point rather grossly obese. I smoke. I've had skin cancer, and cancer runs in both sides of my family.

    On the one hand, I want some *basic* insurance assured. On the other hand, I do feel I present a greater risk than someone younger, without the weight issues, without smoking, without the family medical history, so should pick up a larger slice of my health care.

    Of course, for me as an individual, the difficulty comes in deciding what's a *fair* extra portion for me to shoulder.

    One thing I would want: to be insurable for anything, even if at a premium price and perhaps with a very high deductible even for pre-existing conditions or conditions I've had in the past that might recur) cancer, in my case).

    I'm not entrenched on this. I've followed the debate all year very closely, and can see some validity to most points of view. Well, points of view based on logical, reasoned analysis and debate, not the partisan stuff we've seen way too much of, such as the one representative who called the President a liar and the other one who claimed Republicans' plan is for us to die. I have zero time for that sort of "argument."

Leave a Comment

0/4000 chars


Submit Comment