Swine flu now Human Flu

[Sasha Pachev]

Benn:

Here in Utah a math professor at Weber State died from swine flu after two days at the hospital.  She had  no known conditions or even serious risk factors. Not a smoker or drinker, not overweight.  This shows it can happen to anybody.

While I still think that panic is not appropriate, and never is, even if a nuclear bomb is about to wipe out the whole country, I think reasonable precaution is necessary.

As far as health care is concerned, I have a family of 8 people with 6 young children, and we can only afford catastrophic coverage. So in essence in the last 4 years we paid almost every penny of our medical expenses straight out of pocket. That hurts, but I believe that the way to fix our health care. Two things happen when you have to pay all non-catastrophic expenses:

a) You do not go to the doctor for every little sneeze and scratch, and you learn to take care of it yourself.
b) Doctors start charging you less because you would not come otherwise.

I believe we can and should have a system that does not make you choose between bankruptcy and death in case of a medical emergency or severe condition. Or, consider this. In America many couples wonder how they will pay for the birth of a child. In Africa they just go ahead and have them without our luxuries. Then their children race ours and beat the heck out of them :-) A couple in a country as prosperous as the United States should never have to say that they cannot afford a child.

But at the same time, I do not believe in taxing everybody to death so that people that are unhealthy by choice could live longer on taxpayer's dime.

[Dallen]

I am with Sasha in that people need to start taking some responsibility for most of their health care. You don't need a doctor for every runny nose.

I am also still standing by my original comments from 6 months ago. Swine flu is way over-rated.

[Benn Griffin]

Well I take pretty good care of myself.. and I avoid going to docs for stupid ankle sprains and strains, etc. when I know that R.I.C.E. will work. Unlike most of my peers who are babies and go crying to the ER, I don't and yet I get socked for 180 bucks to get a physical .. my first physical in 4 yrs because I don't have a preexisting condition? You know a country's healthcare system is messed up when you get charged extra for preventitive medicine (though I DID have preexisting condition since as a kid I had cholesterol at 241. Running and diet has brought it down to 150 something!)

[Benn Griffin]

And why can't America reward those of us trying to be physically active? I mean so much of our money and copays and junk go to cover obese people and people that intentionally engage in harmful activities like binge drinking, smoking, whathaveyou. Don't those destructive habits put them at a higher likelihood to become ill from the swine flu and other illnesses? Aren't they part of the reason why healthcare is so expensive? I tell you maybe being a hermit in the mountains is a good thing!

[Sasha Pachev]

Benn:

If people who are healthier either got more votes in the elections for being healthy or there were more of them, we definitely would have a system like this. But they get outvoted by those who are not. We are dealing with a classical pitfall of a democracy - if your voter base consists of nine wolves and one sheep, and the vote is on what's for dinner, the sheep will be eaten by popular vote. There is a limit as to what extent democracy can protect us against stupidity.

[Dallen]

Our health care system does encourage healthiness. We do not pay enough out of pocket do discourage unhealthiness. Co-pays are too low. Insurance pays too much.

The fat smoker with diabetes and high blood pressure pays $50 a month for his 10 medications that actually cost $2000 a month. In his mind there is no reason to quit smoking and lose weight because he would rather just pay the $50 to keep himself alive. If he had to pay $500 he might make the effort. If he couldn't afford it he would probably put in the effort to become healthier because that would be the only way to stay alive.

[Benn Griffin]

Really wanting to move to another country now! Oiii between healthcare and taxes and trying to figure out how to pay back $40,000 in loans for my master's degree, I'm going to have to take out more loans . .. Maybe I should file bankruptcy? lol at least I wouldn't have to worry about paying money back.

[Dallen]

It's a nice plan, but bankruptcy won't clear your student loans. The government will allow you to default on other peoples loans, but not their own. You better just hope for a job with health insurance and enough pay to overcome your debt.