Comments on: It costs if you’re fat. Now it might cost even if you’re thin? http://www.mightybargainhunter.com/2009/09/09/it-costs-if-youre-fat-now-it-might-cost-even-if-youre-thin/ Personal finance, commentary, and spending less the easy way Fri, 19 Mar 2010 14:24:44 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Another view http://www.mightybargainhunter.com/2009/09/09/it-costs-if-youre-fat-now-it-might-cost-even-if-youre-thin/comment-page-1/#comment-188784 Another view Wed, 09 Sep 2009 13:08:23 +0000 http://www.mightybargainhunter.com/?p=1801#comment-188784 That's one way to look at it. Another way would be to imagine what would happen if that healthy person who opts out of health insurance suddenly ends up in an accident. Maybe someone runs a red light and side swipes their car. Their back is broken and they have major internal injuries. Who pays for their medical bills now? Or what if the breadwinner of the family is diagnosed with terminal cancer or some other expensive disease and they can no longer work? Who pays the medical bills now? It's not a fine-- it's the cost of being a member of society and the price of knowing that your neighbors provide a safety net for you in the case of a catastrophic event. The same net you provide for your neighbor by paying into the health insurance pool. That’s one way to look at it.

Another way would be to imagine what would happen if that healthy person who opts out of health insurance suddenly ends up in an accident. Maybe someone runs a red light and side swipes their car. Their back is broken and they have major internal injuries. Who pays for their medical bills now? Or what if the breadwinner of the family is diagnosed with terminal cancer or some other expensive disease and they can no longer work? Who pays the medical bills now?

It’s not a fine– it’s the cost of being a member of society and the price of knowing that your neighbors provide a safety net for you in the case of a catastrophic event. The same net you provide for your neighbor by paying into the health insurance pool.

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