SO YOU DON'T WANT TO BUY HEALTH INSURANCE

Amazingly, there are many people out there who say that they do not need or want to buy health insurance even if it is required. After all, they say, we do have our rights and if we get sick it is our responsibility.

Their reasons range from its too expensive, I can't afford it, to I am healthy now and I live a healthy lifestyle so I don't need it, to I don't feel as if the government should be able to require me to buy something I don't want. (Yes I drive a car and yes I buy the liability insurance that is required by the government but don't confuse me with logic).

Well I would be good with that if the law were amended so that anyone without coverage would not be allowed to get treated at an emergency room without first paying up front for the care.

You see I do believe that you have a right to personal freedom as long as that right comes with a large measure of personal responsibility. If you don't buy health insurance it is only fair to the rest of us that you be required to sign a DNR order on your life and on the lives of your minor children so that in the event of an unforeseen accident or illness where you or they need care but cannot pay for it up front your wishes not to be treated will be respected. It is the ultimate personal responsibility. After all, you do have your rights.

What, you don't like the sound of that? Well, being the proponent of personal freedom and responsibility that you are, you didn't expect the rest of us to pay for your life saving treatment when you refused to, did you? After all you do have your rights but so do the rest of us.

Oh one more thing, its one thing for you to potentially put your life at risk but it is quite another to put the lives of your children at risk. So, should you willfully refuse to purchase health insurance for your children that should, by law, be deemed child abuse and you should be held personally responsible and subject to the fullest punishment the law allows. After all your children have rights too.