"Why should I pay for other people's health care?" How to respond to such

[raccoon]

a selfish a-hole dingbat?

[FreakinDJ]

1. You already do

[WatsonT]

22. Yep

[MrMickeysMom]

34. That's it right there

We've had this expensive socialized medicine for years on end.

Now, it's time we made it fair for all so that the same expensive care being offered there is controlled under single payer and made affordable for all.

[TomClash]

2. Other people pay for yours

One way or another.

[Brickbat]

3. Why should other people pay for yours? That's what insurance is -- a pool of people spreading risk

around.

[QC]

4. "Am I my brother's keeper?"

Spoken by Cain, the first conservative.

[truth2power]

20. Outstanding response!... among the many astute replies, here. eom

[Little Star]

29. I'm gonna be using that!

[QC]

30. Please feel free! n/t

[polichick]

5. I'd say, "You already are, every time someone without health insurance...

...goes to the emergency room."

[rucky]

7. and all the premiums you pay into private insurance.

where do they think that money goes, if you're fortunate enough to not need it?

[ClassWarrior]

11. "As a matter of fact, you're paying THROUGH THE NOSE every time someone..."

"...without health insurance goes to the emergency room. Wouldn't you rather pay fair market value for those services instead?"

NGU.

[rucky]

6. You already do.

How does selfish a-hole think insurance works, anyways?

[raccoon]

12. I don't think they have a clue. IME, their dumbass response when I say I don't have insurance

through my job, is that I just need to get a job that does offer insurance.

Now, why didn't I think of that? :sarcasm: :sarcasm:

[rucky]

15. Or just don't get sick.

Ya lazy!

If only there were a way for workers to get together and, say, collectively bargain with their employers for benefits and whatnot. Naw, that's way too democratic.

[still_one]

8. People without insurance eventually end up in emergency rooms where the costs are much higher

For those who don't have insurance, taxpayers pay those costs, but at a premium because emergency room treatment is far more expensive

It is penny-wise and pound-foolish otherwise, and much more costly

[LibDemAlways]

9. My response would be something along the lines of:

Would you prefer that people with potentially dangerous communicable diseases go untreated? Would you enjoy being part of an epidemic spawned by someone with no access to health care?

Incredibly short-sighted person. Has to be a Republican.

[Deep13]

10. 1. Because you can....

2. It's the right thing to do.

3. Hey, pal, they're your children.

4. Providing health services to everyone reduces costs for everyone.

5. You might need that service someday.

6. It takes a village to keep a child healthy.


A stupid question, but not a question a stupid person would ever ask. It takes real brains to twist logic into a Randian pretzle.

[ejpoeta]

13. we already do. we just pay more than we would if we had singlepayer.

first you pay into medicare so that when you are old and probably need it you will have medicare. you also pay for medicaid through your taxes. second you pay for your private insurance plan plus copays and deductibles before they ever have to spend a dime. then you pay again when the uninsured end up in the ER because they can't afford a doctor or insurance to go to a doctor. Now, if we didn't pay into medicaid the amount we pay would even be more because there would be more in the ER thus paying more for services ourselves. Imagine if we just paid into medicare and used that. Most of us don't even really use our insurance. So we pay into the private system that we don't really use. Then when we need it we find out how much we are really covered when they start making you fight for coverage. That is after we pay our deductible. Then when you can't work or lose your job do you keep getting to use that insurance? no you probably end up on that medicaid if you are lucky. IF we just paid into medicare and could use it when needed and just kept paying into that same system through our life then we would be getting our monies worth. plus everyone would be paying into it thus getting rid of spreading out the cost of the uninsured to the rest of us because we are all participating. but that makes too much sense.

[suffragette]

27. + 1,000

And we currently pay a premium for ourselves and others to insurance executives who are not administering care or even the process and who make their profits in large part by denying essential and appropriate care.

[liberal N proud]

14. Pay for their insurance and you don't have to pay for their emergency room visits

Most people who do not have insurance have to use the emergency room for treatment. Emergency Room visits are expensive.

If those people had access to health care, they could go to a doctors office for regular visits, check ups and even preventative care all for a much cheaper cost than the visits to the emergency room.

[Ganja Ninja]

16. Why should I pay for other peoples wars?

Why should I pay for an over sized military that's intended only to defend American Corporate access to cheap foreign labor?

[BadgerKid]

17. Already do. 2nd question: Does dingbat want to pay more or pay less?

that is, privated health care or public health care?

[WinkyDink]

18. "I hope a poor untreated TB sufferer coughs on you." Just a thought.

[LynneSin]

19. Cheaper to pay for a Doctor's visit then to pay for the Emergency Room visit

When people can't even see a doctor for routine issues they end up in the Emergency room because simple colds or flu take a dangerous turn for the worse.

A doctor visit is way cheaper than the emergency room and trust me, we are paying for those ER visits.

[OHdem10]

21. When you buy your health insurance, you are buying into a

pool of buyers. The More people in a pool the less money
each person has to pay. This is what insurance is about.
C,mon. Do you think your premium by itself would pay for
the health care you may use. Add up your premiums for
year. This may look like a lot of money. Honey, it
would not cover one serious illness. Let's say you pay
800dollars a month--wow that is 9600dollars a year.
THAT WOULD NOT Pay for a serious Emergency Room Visit
and you have a whole year to go.

By being in a pool we all help each other. Not many
Americans a Multi - Millionaires. This is what is required
if one wants to pay everything out of pocket.
Rugged Individualism does not work in Health Care for
most Americans.

Why should I help others who may be down on their luck
or simply cannot afford Health Care.

It all depends on the kind of country you wish America
to be. A country is judged on how it treats those who
are poor or aging. Do you wish to be part of Third World
or First World Country?? It is that simple.

Furthermore, Our History has taught us that America leads
the World and is respected round the world when all Americans
are participating. When we all contribute our little bit
to make pot bigger, the economy flourishes. When we keep
the Poor healthy, they can get jobs and start their trip
up the ladder of the American Dream. Throw the poor to
the side of the road and the country ends up spending
more and more with no return. It is good business sense

If we were a country where a living wage was required for
our poor and working poor, I would think differently.
We permit Businesses and you and I to have more on the backs
of the poor and working poor. If We are not going to pay
them a living wage so we can profit more, then we have an
obligation to help them with their health care.+

[supernova]

23. Becuause other people pay for you

Abstract appeals to community such as "you're in a pool of buyers." won't work with such selfishness.

You have to make it crystal clear to this nimrod that *he* is dependent on others already. It is only fair and right that he return the favor to others.

[southernyankeebelle]

24. What a stupid comment. The idiot doesn't realize we already are paying other health insurance.

[harun]

25. My wife is in her last semester of nursing school. Said the question

of Universal coverage came up in class and the teacher pushed a similar response. Getting people to admit they don't want to pay for someone else's health care. That lazy people would take advantage of the system and because YOU are so hardworking you deserve health care and the lazy don't.

Many lines of reasoning debunk such a stupid myth, but like others have posted, probably the simplest and shortest is the fact that WE ALREADY pay for other peoples health care and other people already pay for ours. On numerous levels, not just at the hospital but in research, schools and when we are born.

Medicare and Medicaid are already more of a spend than the private sector.

[The_Commonist]

26. Someone asked me that a while ago...

My response was "So you don't get the bubonic fucking plague, you selfish, shallow twit!!!"

That didn't go over too well...

[EC]

28. They already do.

What do they think group insurance is? And then there's the emergancy room charges spread out to covered people to pay.

[HEyHEY]

31. A patriotic American wants his fellow countrymen to be healthy for the fight against communism

[Generic Other]

32. Because patriotic Americans do that sort of thing

Only you bellyachers seem to think different!

[City of Mills]

33. It's as if public employees don't pay tax

I know I do...now that I think about it, I'm kind of paying myself...so I make even less than I thought.