Bluntly, the huge majority of people who “can’t afford health insurance” of any kind at any level have simply made other choices.\u00a0 They need to:<\/p>\n
1)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 turn off all the devices that don’t need to be on (save money on electricity),
\n2)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 drive less,
\n3)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 eat at home, simply, no fast food, don’t buy expensive prepared meals from the freezer section, buy basic foods and prepare meals to a menu,
\n4)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 turn in their cell phones back to the phone company and cancel the plan\u00a0 (paying the turn off fee if they must\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6\u00a0 they’ll still save money),
\n5)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 cancel satellite or cable tv plan (you can live without tv if your antenna doesn’t work\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6\u00a0 really),
\n6)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 cancel internet service (use the library for “research” and email, listen to the radio for news),
\n7)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 run the air conditioning in your home or apartment much less, or don’t use it at all, like the rest of humanity for all of human history,
\n8)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 give the expensive car back to the loan company, or better yet, don’t buy it to start with\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6\u00a0 drive a simple, reliable, middle aged car, and as little as possible,<\/p>\n
9)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 knock off the “dollar here”, “dollar there” expenditures on soda, coffee, etc.<\/p>\n
10)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 refuse to buy gadgets, trinkets, techno toys, designer clothes and shoes, etc.
\n11)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 review all the ways they spend money, and impose some budget discipline, not spending on anything that isn’t really essential.<\/p>\n
12)\u00a0\u00a0 maybe consider getting a job, if they don’t have one, and are able.<\/p>\n
This sort of thing used to be taught in economics courses in high school, both “regular” economics and “home” economics.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Please understand.\u00a0 I am not saying there is anything intrinsically wrong with anything I just listed.\u00a0 I am saying that if you spend money on those things, and you think you can’t afford health insurance, you’re just lying to yourself.<\/p>\n
And I’m also saying that the politicians are lying who want us to believe that people who can afford the stuff above simply cannot afford health insurance, so we all have to chip in for them.<\/p>\n
If they’re going to say that, at least they could be honest about it.\u00a0 Instead of calling it “universal health care”, they should call it “universal lifestyle coverage”.<\/p>\n
Here’s how it will work.<\/p>\n
People will buy their own health coverage and basic necessities.\u00a0 The government will step in with tax money to buy them fast food, iPods and computers with internet service (gotta get the music off iTunes, you know), cable\/satellite tv plans, cell phones with long distance plans and unlimited text messaging, recent Toyota Corollas or equivalent, and help with the electric bill for air conditioning and all the other gadgets that “universal lifestyle coverage” has helped them to buy, like the widescreen TV, DVD recorder, TIVO system, etc.\u00a0 Don’t forget the video game consoles and a nice collection of games.<\/p>\n
I know people with all or most of these things who say they cannot afford health insurance.\u00a0 I hope you’ll pardon me for not being willing to buy it for them out of tax money.<\/p>\n