Bernie Sanders talks universal Medicare, and 1.1 million people click to watch him

[Sophia4]

49. I did not see much morbid obesity when I lived there. People walk a lot and ride

public transportation (walking to the train station or bus stop).

But alcoholism was rampant, and a lot of people smoked.

Those, however, are cultural issues.

I have never heard of an American who quit smoking or drinking because smoking or drinking meant a higher insurance premium. I don't smoke or drink. I enjoy being healthy. That is my incentive.

I don't think Americans like me get better insurance prices, especially if they are covered by their employer or a group plan. There may be exceptional instances, but I think not.

The libertarian view of this would be pretty irrelevant in my view because we cannot help being born with propensities for certain illnesses. And a good, healthy diet is probably as important for health as not smoking or drinking and getting exercise. But health insurance companies cannot control for your diet as far as I know.

A libertarian who proudly (even obnoxiously) takes responsibility for his health can be born with a gene for a disease or condition just as someone can who is born to live to 105 and smoke and drink and eat junk food for the first 90 years. There is a lot of luck and fate involved. A person can be born with a propensity for diabetes or heart disease or some even worse disease and live an admirable life when it comes to all the things we are supposed to do for our health.

My great-grandfather lived into his late 90s, accompanied his father to fight in the Civil War for the Union, took a shot in his leg, smoked during his adult life. Who knows how he did it, but I remember him very clearly. Maybe it was all the Zane Grey western novels he read.

It's really horrible to make one person pay more for health insurance than he or she can afford.

Our infant mortality rate is bad compared to other developed countries. That's our healthcare system or lack thereof.

Good health is reward enough for a healthy life style. But you have to be lucky to get it.