Originally Posted by jerry crump
I can defend not carrying health insurance by choice for millions that are healthy and do not have assetts that could be lost in bankruptcy. If you own a home, car and all of your assets are in retirement accounts (depending on the bankruptcy exemptions in the state you live in) you are probably better off putting that $500 to $1000 that many families pay into retirement accounts.
You will get medical care. If something catastrophic happens you may need file bankruptcy (but if all of your assetts are exempt who cares). There are fabulous top notch health insurance alternatives in Costa Rica, India, Singapore, and Thailand for 10 to 30 cents on the us dollar. Every state offers a high risk pool for $100 to $400 per person that you can jump into with a pre-existing condition if you come down with a major illness. And medicaid takes middle class people facing big medical bills.
I can assure you there are many millions of people who would end up with multi million dollar retirement accounts if they would direct their health insurance premiums into retirement accounts and they would get their health care. Our nations healthcare and insurance system is a cesspool that everyone doesn't belong in.
On the topic of credit cards. I know several people who far exceed 10% of their income in credit card debt but it was all invested and it stays on 0% or so rates. While I agree with you about consumer purchases there are exceptions here also.
You are kidding right? If you have no health insurance even if you truly can pay for an emergency room visit, you get the bum's rush out. The ER will not bother to find out if you can really pay and will treat you as if you are indigent. Medicaid does little for the working poor or middle class at least in my state. If you are working 40 hours a week it is just too bad. And those pools are not cheap and there are limits to the number of people they can accept each year.
A bankruptcy will cause significantly higher prices for everything in the future from any loans to life, auto and homeowners insurance for that person. And with the new BK laws going into effect you may have to pay it back anyway.
Putting that "$500 to $1000 that many families pay into retirement accounts" is a very bad bet when a simple broken leg for a healthy person can run $10,000 in total. The risks out weigh the gains IMHO. It is certainly bad financial planning.
I agree that our nation's (USA) insurance/health care is a cesspool but EVERYBODY should belong. If you go BK on us all you do is pass the cost of your care on the rest of us.