The problem with liberals is they have no backbone. They believe in live and let live instead of live and let die. Ron Paul says that if someone wants to carry the risk of not having insurance then they should also carry the consequences which might be as much as death. But when you look at this a bit closer you will see that Ron Paul actually just fixed the entire healthcare crisis.
One problem with the healthcare system is that a big group of the people who don’t have healthcare insurance are some of the healthiest people out there. Without healthy people paying into the risk pool the actuaries say that providing insurance to only sick people is a losing business. In the healthcare reform legislation a mandate to carry insurance was included in no small part to make sure that healthy people are paying into the system. Ron Paul and many others believe that the government should not mandate that people pay for insurance if they don’t want to pay.
The problem with people choosing not to pay into the system is that the system is still there for them. If they get into an accident or are struck by some sort of emergency condition like a stroke, an ambulance will still pick them up and a hospital will still treat them. There just isn’t the proper incentive for people to get insurance because the government is interfering with the free market.
In a free market anyone who doesn’t pay for insurance or who does not have the funds to cover treatment is denied treatment. It’s not personal, it’s just business. With the looming threat of death the number of people with health insurance will skyrocket. The number of healthy people paying into the system will far outweigh the cost of treating the sick and the system will function like every other risk market.
Now, there are some details to work out if the system is to function. How does an EMT know that someone has insurance or the funds to pay for the ambulance ride, treatment and hospital stay? The simple solution is that those who choose to have insurance will carry a card with them at all times. The card will guarantee that the person has a paid up policy or has deposited funds into a healthcare spending account that will sit in escrow for times of need. But what if you’re swimming and you don’t have your card or you forgot it in your other pants? If you so choose you can have a small RFID chip implanted in the back of your neck and all first responders will have a handheld scanner that will verify your unique identification number and validate your coverage or escrow with the national healthcare clearing house (a private corporation).
Keep in mind, the chip is completely optional as is the coverage. If you take the personal responsibility to ensure that you always have your card then you can opt to not get a chip (your dog and cat will still need a chip though in case you lose them). Though each person should decide what the probability of getting hit by a bus while naked (thous not having their card) is and weigh that against their personal freedom to not have a microchip in their neck. It’s all about personal freedom.
Those who cannot afford insurance can carry a special card that identifies them as poor. As long as they pay 10% of their pre-tax earnings toward a healthcare plan then they will still get emergency care, but there will be limits to what is provided as decided by each healthcare provider. If a person makes no income at all and cannot pay the 10% then they will carry a card that identifies them as destitute and healthcare providers can make a case by case decision on whether they want to provide care.
Of course private charities, individuals, corporations and institutions of worship can provide healthcare sponsorships to individuals that they choose. These sponsorships will be tax deductible if the person receiving them is either poor or destitute.
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