Why am I "responsible" to pay other people's bills?

Question

That's what "universal health care" means. It means some people pay other people's medical bills. Why is it my responsibility to pay your bills? And please don't give me the "what if you become poor" crap - other than poor people coming here from countries where everything is "universal" most of our poverty comes from the tax burden on the private economy, imposed to pay for what is "universal" already.

Why when some people can't afford their own bills do people refer to this as the rest of us FORCING them into poverty? Just because it's not necessarily someone's fault that they're sick or even poor doesn't mean that it's someone ELSE'S fault.

Plenty of things happen to me that aren't MY fault. Does that make them YOUR fault? Do I have a right to make YOU pay for it? I got a flat tire a few months ago because someone left a sharp object in the road and it was dark - unless you left it there, should you have to pay the bill at NTB?

PAY YOUR OWN BILLS, PEOPLE!!!

Answer 1

It's called the failed system of socialism.

Answer 2

I'm of two minds on this one ... I somewhat see your point, certainly not with the same feverency though. I'm not comfortable with the idea that I would be working my tail off to support someone who is unwilling to do the same, but there's a major caveat to that: who is to say that those people I'm helping to support aren't working as hard, just working at a job which doesn't pay a liveable wage. America's "working poor" are just that; a significant number of people are struggling to feed themselves (let alone a family) on wages which haven't kept up with the cost of living. Let's assume a person makes $7.50/hr (let alone the current min wage) in a city where the cost of an efficiency studio costs $500, and then take in the cost of utilities, food, transportation... All this assumes that everyone is healthy, all the time.

It is my opinion that, while the "welfare mother" indeed exists it is not the rule, welfare provides meager help to a family that needs it -- it is not a reward for sloth. As a side note, one might suggest that a former CEO who robbed from his/her employees and purposely misconstrued information with the intent to deceive having to donate his/her $3.5 million dollar severance package to the welfare state is more than appropriate. Call it monetary community service.

There's a lot of general "commands" which are easy to throw out there. You can tell someone to "get a better job", "don't have kids", etc. The truth is, how is someone to get a better job when each day's wages are stretched as far as they can go -- missing a day of work to go fill out applications or even take care of basic needs can seem impossible.

I am more grateful now than before for having attended college and having the opportunity to "gain skills". I'm not saying that attending a university is the only way, I'm just using it as an example -- technical skills and trade schools are also good examples. My point is how does one gain these skills without the money to pay for them or the time to attend?

I personally don't believe that someone should have a whole litter of children if they can't feed themselves ... however, I'm not going to tell someone to adjust their beliefs either and I realize that well, things do happen. I wholeheartedly believe in birth control, but we have to make these things easily available.
In addition, we are all guaranteed the right to have children -- not necessarily the right to keep them should their care become jeopardized of course. I don't feel that I can make that sort of choice for someone to have a family or not.

To sum up this lengthy answer, I happily pay taxes to improve my roads, schools, and parks. Unfortunately, poverty is still with us and until everyone who works a full time job can make a wage above the poverty line (and have health care, safe working conditions,etc) I think it is a necessity.

Answer 3

unless you're insanely wealthy i doubt you are paying anyones bills. Society chooses to do this because no one likes people dying on the street, it looks bad, smells and they might try to rob you in thier desperation. Not that they're bad or that you would die in the street quietly. we don't have universal healthcare, i can't get govt stuff and i don't really work or have any money. It's mostly for children and women with children.

Bush's new health care tax cut isn't for the poor, not for the rich either really but the rich can get thier 7-15 G's back from health insurance too, it just doesn't really matter to them, they're more concerned about hundreds of thousands in property and income tax. The poor actually don't have any healthcare to be reimbursed for after tax season and don't make enough money where they even pay that much money into taxes so they can't get it back i don't think, they'll just pay less than the nothing they pay now for taxes and still not be insured.

Answer 4

We need to not only have the Statue of Liberty on the East Coast but maybe a Statue of Responsibilty on the West Coast!

In my opinion the out of control health care and insurance costs have to do with third party payments. If an insurance company or the government pays my hospital bill then I am not concerned with the entire cost of the bill -- only my copayment or my monthly premium. Therefore it would make sense for people to be responsible to the service provider -- physician, hospital etc. for payment.

People would carefully negotiate the fees and the providers would respond by competitive prices as in other free market products and services. When the doctor or the hospital wants to perform a test we would ask for the cost and the purpose of the test.

this is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to taking responsibility in life. I don't even want to go to the issues of unnecesary litigation, judiciary making decisions that common sense says are absurd.

Answer 5

If you have health insurance, you already pay other people's bills. The point of health insurance is to pool money together so that those in the program have a larger amount of money to draw from should something catestrophic happen. Example: You are involved in a serious car accident and have no health insurance, the bills will put you back a few dollars. If you have health insurance, you draw money from the group's stash to pay your bills.

The problem with Universal Health Care is that it does NOTHING to control the actual cost of healthcare in this country. It only changes who pays for the healthcare.

Answer 6

I agree with you to a point. I am frustrated because I am a hard working citizen. My taxes go to pay for welfare and all the other state benefits. I unfortunately see so many people abusing the system. Then i work hard each and every day but cannot afford health care. I work very hard and manage to afford health care for my children but I make it by when I am sick. It frustrates me that there are people sitting at home watching tv all day and they get state benefits for nothing that all of us tax payers pay for yet when we need any help we are told no because we make just above poverty.So no wonder that people then quit their jobs and live off the state.

Answer 7

While we're at it, why don't we have universal electricity coverage, or gas coverage, or mortgage coverage. Those are things that everyone else needs too. If you think universal health care will work, then take a good look at the current medicare and medicaid systems. They are tiny compared to what universal health care will be like and they are disasters.

Answer 8

roads and healthcare are two totally different things. its called mutual needs. the job of taxes are to pay for things EVERYBODY USES. things that are needed for the country to grow and for the economy to prosper to allow the free flow of money to help with the little help people need like the disabled and elderly and the likes. like everything the libs want to take it too far. there is a balance. pure capitalism is a pipe dream as well as pure Utopian Marxism. the problem is when you start hindering capitalism to fund Marxism you will destroy this great country.

Answer 9

Don't forget that you're responsible to take care of all the illegitimate babies "poor" people have while they're out making minimum wage and having more illegitimate babies. After all, it's not THEIR fault they got on drugs and dropped out of high school. You really need to be more understanding. I'm going to schedule you some sensitivity classes.

Answer 10

pay my own bills!!! are you insane! that means i have to work. No you pay my bills. No wait, the government should because i want really high taxes in exchange for very crappy healthcare.

You pay a premium that was negotiated by the insurance company and yourself,..making it legal and personal responsibility.

God did tell us to watch the elderly and poor, but not the people who are able to get a job but do not want to. i believe in welfare for the truelly needy i.e. sick, disabled, mentally ill. but not the lazy, mean, complainers.

Answer 11

Taxpayers pay 15 billion dollars per year for the uninsured under the current system.

the poor already have health care....It's called Medicaid...perhaps you've heard of it?