About Federal Healthcare Programs

The other evening, I attended a cocktail party for a new fitness club in my area.


As you can imagine, the event was full of fit people of many ages- young, middle-aged, and senior citizens.


Seeing so many healthy people- of many ages- got me to thinking of the diseases and conditions which I, and probably many of those people, won't likely endure. Conditions and diseases I see in so many commercials:


-diabetes-

heart disease/attack

-stroke

-emphysema

-lung cancer

-obesity

-sclerosis of the liver

-respiratory diseases from smoking

-hypertension

-high blood pressure


That's quite a list right there. But, since I don't smoke or drink, and exercise nearly daily, and sometimes more than once in a day, I have a lower-than-average risk of requiring treatment for any of those diseases.

So, I would guess, do most of the people I saw at that party last night. It's rare that dedicated fitness club members smoke. Most are probably lighter drinkers of alcohol than non-exercising people. There were no more than perhaps one or two overweight people at last night's function, out of several hundred.


What does this have to do with healthcare programs? Well, it doesn't take a genius to begin to relate lifestyle to healthcare costs. Or, considering liberal Democrats who are constantly pushing for universal, Federally-paid healthcare, maybe it does take a genius.

If someone smokes, drinks excessively, is chronically overweight or obese, why do I, as a voter, want my government, i.e., me, to underwrite that person's medical expenses?


I'd prefer that, as a taxpayer, I only pay for lower-than-average risks.


How about government vouchers for those citizens who score above a certain minimum on various lifestyle aspects. It would be voluntary, but the result of 'passing' the test would be a direct offset to either health insurance, medical expenses, or some sort of MSA.


Now, to me, that makes sense.


Seeing all those fit, health-conscious people caused me to realize just how crucial lifestyle is as a precursor to any serious discussion of Federal involvement in the cost of medical treatment and insurance for US citizens.

Combine this sort of Federal contribution to medical expenses with the right to cross state lines and buy insurance/medical coverage from any vendor, and allow vendors to create packages irrespective of 'mandated minimum services,' and you have a recipe for successful healthcare reform.

But anything that fails to motivate people to reform their own lifestyles and become healthier to start with is going to result in higher costs and a larger mess.