What else could bankrupt you? If you are struck with cancer and you max out your benefits you could easily lose all your prosperity. You can always opt to keep paying 26% rate increases year by year.
I'll leave that to the reader to learn. A very short summary was already posted for you, and there are many good resources on constitutional law online should you wish to avail yourself of them.
Damn dude; you're living in the lap of luxury, free of pretty much every threat that has traditionally confronted man, and will probably live to 75 at least. If an American loses three hours of electric service or five minutes of cell phone connection they feel its a crisis. In short, in spite of all of the imaginary and half-truths found in your statement, I'd our gov't, (which is to say THE PEOPLE), have done a pretty good job in getting us where we are. I have far more faith in the gov't, something I can at least vote for representation, than a profit-oriented private health insurance company who couldn't care less about my medical woes. If I have any fears of gov't control it would be that they would offer TOO MUCH coverage; like Viagra or cosmetic surgery.
Plenty, you act as if the ONLY reason for bankruptcy is medically related. I'm not paying 26% increases. But keep the exaggerations coming, there is surely someone out there naive enough to believe them.
Then why do I need government <s>run</s> ruined health care? Can't you just "vote" with your feet and change insurance company's? And if you think the government cares any more about your welfare than the insurance companies you've got your head buried in the sand. Which of course they will, along with sex changes and all manner of other ridiculous expenses. All payed for with YOUR tax dollars and mostly more debt. Debt our country can ill afford.
In 2007, 62%+ of all personal bankruptcies were due to medical bills. Of that 6 out of 10, 4 HAD health insurance when they got sick. NOBODY in Europe, Canada or Japan files for bankruptcy due to medical bills; NOBODY. - A person is employed, gets a chronic illness, loses their job, loses their health insurance: bankrupt. - A person is employed, their child gets a chronic illness, their employer gets a rate increase, the employee loses their job: bankrupt. - A person pays for health insurance. They pay 5, 10, 15 years. They file marginal claims that are far below what they have paid in. Suddenly, they get a chronic illness: policy cancelled; bankruptcy filed. Yes, I have FAR more faith in gov't. How many Social Security checks have failed to mailed- none. How many Medicare recipients have 'left the system' for PRIVATE coverage: NONE. How many Veterens have left the system to purchase 'insurance' from a private company: NONE. Correct me if I'm wrong, Lucrum. You are either a senior citizen getting Medicare and/or a military vet or other government worker who gets their medical care/insurance PAID for by TAXPAYERS; for LIFE. In other words, YOU are opposed to everybody getting what YOU ALREADY HAVE.
Wrong, 48 years old and work for a small private sector company. In addition I have a good friend whose is unemployed and responsible for his own family's insurance and he's just as much opposed to government <s>run</s> ruined health care as I am. And he would benefit from it. He's opposed for the exact same reasons I am. So in contradiction to what you would like to believe, not everyone opposed is a "senior citizen getting Medicare and/or a military vet or other government worker who gets their medical care/insurance PAID for by TAXPAYERS; for LIFE."
O.K.- I'm wrong. Been there before; will be there again. Kudos for you and your friend for ignoring your own best interests. However, the majority of us, (agreed, MOST of us DON'T contract chronic disease's), agreed to participate in programs that protect those who might. It's kinda like car or home insurance: we'll buy in and HOPE we lose the bet. You know, the greater good and all. So it really comes down to this: WHY do YOU think that private insurance companies will provide better, more secure benefits than the gov't ? Where, specific examples, has the gov't ever failed to provide the benefits that the laws provided? Why would you entrust your family's health care to a company whose best interest, (profit), lies in denying your medical claims? If it hasn't happened yet it is only due to the fact that your premiums paid continue to be greater than the claims paid: otherwise, you would be 'cancelled'.
You will not find any post made by me that claims or insinuates that I am looking for a 'free lunch'. I support a guarantee health care package for everybody and paid for by everybody with money from general tax receipts. I have advocated here on ET and to my two TN senators that this program should be PAID for with tax increases of 2%, 3%, 5%, and 7% on each of the four respective tax brackets (lowest to highest). I'm not getting health insurance for 'free' today (I pay $6,600 annually for wife and self): I don't expect it to be free tomorrow. The logic of single-payer, universal coverage is the same as public education, interstate highways, Social Security/Medicare: everybody pays and everybody has access. The young will pay more than they use today (just as they pay more to insurance companies than they use today) and they will use more 'tomorrow' than they will be paying. The LUCKIEST among us will use LESS than we pay; the unfortunate will use MORE than they pay. In any event, LIFE will be MORE secure for all us.