I was talking to a young man who was mad about having to buy healthcare insurance. He was going IN! Says he hasn't been to the doctor in over three years so why should he HAVE to have insurance.
I asked him if he had insurance on his car and on his cellphone.
He said it's not the same thing.
I asked what does he think will happen if he left and got into a horrible accident in his insured car and he said he's sure he'd be taken to the emergency room.
Well...who's going to pay for that if you don't have insurance?
Him: But why does medical treatment cost so much? It shouldn't cost that much!
Me: But it does. That's not going to change while you're in the hospital having major surgery. Hopefully the doctors working on you have had the best education money can buy and they're using the best equipment money can buy and the nurses are stellar and the facility is top notch...you see where I'm going here.
Him: But that's a bit if. IF I get in an accident.
Me: Or IF you get cancer. I got cancer when I was in my early 20s. Thank God I had insurance back then or I'd certainly be dead.
Him: You had cancer?
Me: Yeah...but that's neither here nor there. If you got in a bad accident or got cancer or something else bad, the hospital social worker person would come to your room with a stack of papers and get you and your mother to fill them out so you can get some government assistance to help pay for your hospital bills. And you know who pays for that? Me. That guy over there. Probably that woman. Your teacher from grade school. Your mom who has worked her entire life. We pay for that with our taxes and honestly...we're sick of it. So...pay your own way and then your bitching about what the government makes you do might get more than an eyeroll from us. You probably pay more per month for your phone than you'd have to pay for insurance so I'm not even trying to hear it. Shit.
The deadline is today and I'm certain that young man didn't sign up. Do YOU know anyone mad about having to get insurance? Do you agree with them? If you don't have insurance...what's your plan in the event of an emergency?
