Comments on: On Healthcare, Rights, and Humanity http://www.andrewmaddox.com/2009/08/on-healthcare-rights-and-humanity/ thoughts, musings, and writings of Andrew Maddox Sun, 01 Jan 2012 17:16:25 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Dustin http://www.andrewmaddox.com/2009/08/on-healthcare-rights-and-humanity/comment-page-1/#comment-300 Dustin Sun, 09 Aug 2009 09:21:44 +0000 http://www.andrewmaddox.com/?p=396#comment-300 Andrew, this was an excellent read with some refreshingly new (at least to me) ideas. I recently watched a documentary on the growing 4 deficits America faces: Budget, Savings, Trade and Leadership. It is difficult to see universal healthcare being practical. We are combating Social Security and Medicare with the babyboomers adding to an already crippling budget. I am very worried about adding a federal healthcare program to the mix. I like the principle of encouraging healthy lifestyles and discouraging unhealthy ones. I don't want to be subsidizing Joe Blo's triple bypass after 30 years of Big Macs. Obviously the moral issue extends beyond promoting a healthy or unhealthy lifestyle. "Stuff" happens. One car wreck requiring surgeries, lab work, rehab, etc. can easily bankrupt a person or family that can't afford insurance. A number of injuries are sustained from exercise and sport...those committed to a healthy lifestyle. I'd like to think that we can do something to help unfortunate, uninsured Americans avoid financial ruin after suffering a debilitating accident. And it would be safe to assume at some degree, that the rate of uninsured Americans follows the rate of unemployment. Having said that I'm not excited at the idea of a guy in Washington telling me what procedures I need and which ones I can live without. Scary. Good write up. A troubling problem that certainly deserves all the attention it's getting. Andrew, this was an excellent read with some refreshingly new (at least to me) ideas. I recently watched a documentary on the growing 4 deficits America faces: Budget, Savings, Trade and Leadership. It is difficult to see universal healthcare being practical. We are combating Social Security and Medicare with the babyboomers adding to an already crippling budget. I am very worried about adding a federal healthcare program to the mix.

I like the principle of encouraging healthy lifestyles and discouraging unhealthy ones. I don’t want to be subsidizing Joe Blo’s triple bypass after 30 years of Big Macs.

Obviously the moral issue extends beyond promoting a healthy or unhealthy lifestyle. “Stuff” happens. One car wreck requiring surgeries, lab work, rehab, etc. can easily bankrupt a person or family that can’t afford insurance. A number of injuries are sustained from exercise and sport…those committed to a healthy lifestyle. I’d like to think that we can do something to help unfortunate, uninsured Americans avoid financial ruin after suffering a debilitating accident. And it would be safe to assume at some degree, that the rate of uninsured Americans follows the rate of unemployment.

Having said that I’m not excited at the idea of a guy in Washington telling me what procedures I need and which ones I can live without. Scary.

Good write up. A troubling problem that certainly deserves all the attention it’s getting.

]]>