Don't worry my assets are protected. They don't yet sell health insurance. If they did I would buy some to protect my health.
I can't speak for Java, but I'm not so sure that he hates paying for services that he requires now and in the future. I pay for auto and home insurance. I have been paying both for years and have never filed a claim. I don't mind doing so because I set my deductibles high and consider the premium to be a bargain relative to the risk that it is insuring. So I ask, why can't health insurance be like that? Why can't we buy a plan that only covers the catastrophic stuff. A plan that does not cover regular doctor visits, preventative check-ups (although the catastrophic insurance could give discounts for getting annual check-ups, being healthy, etc, just as auto and home insurance providers offer discounts for having equipment that reduces their risk). But today health insurance isn't like that. We don't have an option of just covering the catastrophic stuff and young people like me are forced to subsidize old people, many of whom are not paying a premium to cover the risk that they impose on their insurers. The situation is similar to forcing auto insurers to cover 90% of fuel costs. I drive an SUV that gets about 17 mpg. Why can't others subsidize my fuel costs? My vehicle's fuel consumption sounds like a pre-existing condition to me. The only way to solve the healthcare crisis is through better medicine. Fix the root of the problem. http://www.asaging.org/blog/reinventing-aging-update-longevity-dividend
A car isn't necessary to live a decent life. It's a choice you make with discretionary income. Medical care is often required to maintain your life, prevent serious illness, and maintain quality of life. Those who don't drive are still paying taxes to pay for the roads you drive on; they can't opt out on those costs either. Canada hasn't had a healthcare crisis and we have had a national plan covering everyone since the 1970s. So better medicine isn't needed to provide this. Some Americans like to pretend we have a lower quality system, but in reality Canadians live around 2 years longer then Americans, and on average Canadians are healthier then Americans ( see obesity rates ).
Further to Nine_Ender's post, here's a chart for y'all: Maternal mortality rate (deaths per 100,000 live births; Source: The Lancet) 'nuff said.
Can you post the link for that graph, Martin? It doesn't jive with what I find anywhere on the net in regards to US ranking for mortality rate.
Here you are: http://www.thelancet.com/pdfs/journals/lancet/PIIS0140-6736(16)31470-2.pdf The relevant table is on page 1784.