Jail Time Awaits You If You Pay Your Medical Bills Instead Of Paying An Insurance Company To Do It For You?

For the first seven years of our marriage my wife and I were young students, barely making it week to week.  We were healthy, as are most young people, and since we had no money we stayed home alot, which meant we didn't engage in many dangerous pursuits.  The last thing we even thought about buying was health insurance.  We just couldn't afford it.

Now that doesn't mean that we didn't go to the doctor from time to time.  In fact, once I needed a root canal.  I told the doctor that I had no money but would gladly make payments.  He is a friend to this day and I paid him weekly until his bill was satisfied.

Under the plans being considered by Congress, if any similarly situated young people, or even wealthy people, chose not to carry health insurance, they might face stiff fines.  Might they eventually face jail time too?

The encroachment of government regulation into our lives has been slow, but damned steady.  When will the people of this nation say enough is too much?

In a revamped health care system envisioned by senators, people would be required to carry health insurance just like motorists must get auto coverage now. The government would provide subsidies for the poor and many middle-class families, but those who still refuse to sign up would face fines of more than $1,000.

The details were unveiled Thursday in a health care overhaul bill supported by key Senate Democrats looking to fulfill President Barack Obama's top domestic priority.

In a statement, Obama welcomed the legislation, saying it "reflects many of the principles I've laid out, such as reforms that will prohibit insurance companies from refusing coverage for people with pre-existing conditions and the concept of insurance exchanges where individuals can find affordable coverage if they lose their jobs, move or get sick."

At their heart, all the bills would require insurance companies to sell coverage to any applicant, without charging higher premiums for pre-existing medical conditions. The poor and some middle-class families would qualify for government subsidies to help with the cost of coverage. The government's costs would be covered by a combination of higher taxes and cuts in projected Medicare and Medicaid spending.

Oh, and those "cuts in projected Medicare and Medicaid spending"?  We ALL know what that means right? 

YOU GONNA DIE SUCKA!

President Obama suggested at a town hall event Wednesday night that one way to shave medical costs is to stop expensive and ultimately futile procedures performed on people who are about to die and don't stand to gain from the extra care.

In a nationally televised event at the White House, Obama said families need better information so they don't unthinkingly approve "additional tests or additional drugs that the evidence shows is not necessarily going to improve care."

He added: "Maybe you're better off not having the surgery, but taking the painkiller." [BB]