So I'm sitting here watching President Obama talk to Congress about the latest iteration of his heath care plan, and a few things he's said have really caught my attention.
The first is his specific mention of young people who may not want to buy health insurance because they feel that they are invincible and they'd rather spend the money on something else. Of course, we can't let this happen. Why? Because then everyone else has to pay when they visit the emergency room or get sick. My question is: why? The whole point of personal choice is that you have to live with the consequences. If I don't buy car insurance, and I hit someone, I should have to pay for that. If I don't buy health insurance and I get injured, I should have to pay for that too.
Of course, there are a number of arguments that crop up at this point: First, that medical care is way too expensive, and second, that medical care is a right. To answer these, I would say that the first is very related to the second. Viewing medical care as a special case, rather than a market like any other, has kept prices high. After all, food, water, and clothing are also necessary for a healthy life, but none of these things are prohibitively expensive. There was a time when only the wealthy could afford tailored clothes, or clean water, but today, in America, the idea of anyone going without these things is ridiculous. This is the case because suppliers of these products had to compete with one another to stay in business. Not everyone can afford Armani suits, but no one goes naked. What we're trying to do in heath care is give everyone a $500 suit. Can't afford it? No problem! Of course, as with anything else run by the government the promise is that this program will provide a boundless plenty, but history has shown that the usual result is lowered quality, shortages, and rationing.
The first is his specific mention of young people who may not want to buy health insurance because they feel that they are invincible and they'd rather spend the money on something else. Of course, we can't let this happen. Why? Because then everyone else has to pay when they visit the emergency room or get sick. My question is: why? The whole point of personal choice is that you have to live with the consequences. If I don't buy car insurance, and I hit someone, I should have to pay for that. If I don't buy health insurance and I get injured, I should have to pay for that too.
Of course, there are a number of arguments that crop up at this point: First, that medical care is way too expensive, and second, that medical care is a right. To answer these, I would say that the first is very related to the second. Viewing medical care as a special case, rather than a market like any other, has kept prices high. After all, food, water, and clothing are also necessary for a healthy life, but none of these things are prohibitively expensive. There was a time when only the wealthy could afford tailored clothes, or clean water, but today, in America, the idea of anyone going without these things is ridiculous. This is the case because suppliers of these products had to compete with one another to stay in business. Not everyone can afford Armani suits, but no one goes naked. What we're trying to do in heath care is give everyone a $500 suit. Can't afford it? No problem! Of course, as with anything else run by the government the promise is that this program will provide a boundless plenty, but history has shown that the usual result is lowered quality, shortages, and rationing.
