|
|
 |
|
| Letters: From Our Readers |
Sensible Healing
05/01/2007
|
Imagine how much more expensive auto insurance would be if oil
changes and routine maintenance were covered by the premiums we pay. We expense
these tasks out-of-pocket to prevent catastrophic expenses and injuries. Yet
with healthcare, we have developed an entitlement mentality that absolves us of
personal responsibility to do routine maintenance, such as eating smart and
exercising regularly.
Sadly, despite all we now know about the benefits of healthy
living, Americans are still overweight, lazy and uneducated when it comes to
healthcare. Worse yet, the inevitable health problems that result from poor
lifestyle choices do not manifest themselves for years.
The quickest way to get people’s attention and improve their
behavior is still to hit them in the wallet. Basic economics teaches us that
when the price of a desired and essential commodity is reduced to nearly zero,
demand is unlimited. Couple that with a system with no competitive
price-rationing mechanism and a hyper-regulatory government and you have a
recipe for disaster. Health insurance should protect those with bad luck or bad
genes—not those with bad habits. To get back to that basic premise, we must
first expunge a generation of bad thinking.
To repeat an old adage: If you think healthcare is expensive
now, just wait until it’s free.
James Martin, Troy, Mich.
Worth welcomes your comments. Please direct your letters to letters@worth.com.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
