DAVE ROSS

The ultimate health care reform

Sep 13, 2011, 8:16 AM | Updated: 8:33 am

Listen to Dave Ross Commentary: The ultimate health care reform

It came during last night’s Republican debate… when candidate Ron Paul tackled the following question: suppose you have a healthy 30-year-old, who decides not to buy health insurance, but he gets sick, needs intensive care, can’t pay, what does he do?

Ron Paul’s answer:

What he should do is whatever he wants to do and assume responsiblity for himself. My advice to him would have a major medical policy but not be forced–

Wolf Blitzer: But he doesn’t have it and he needs intensive care for six months, who pays?

Paul: That’s what freedom is all about, taking your own risks. This whole idea that you have to prepare and take care of everybody…

Blitzer: Are you saying that society should just let him die?

Paul himself answered “no” to the “let him die” question; he said charities would step in. But a couple of members of the audience had no problem saying YES. And quite a few others seemed to agree with them.

Could this perhaps serve as a different type of health reform?

You would get a crowd of taxpayers together, and one by one, uninsured sick people would get up; tell their stories, and the moderator would then put it to the crowd, DO we pay for him, or not?

And the crowd would decide.

I can hear you saying, but Dave, that’s a Death Panel. No! We would call it a Freedom Committee.

No insurance companies, no forms — and… you really find out who your friends are.

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The ultimate health care reform