This Doctor is Making Sense!

I was doing some research on the factors that drive up health care costs and came across Dr. Waldman’s blog. I love that he has been practicing medicine for more than 30 years and yet still cares not only about his patients but about the state of the health care system in this country.

I found him by searching for “personal responsibility and health care.” Why did I search for that phrase? Because I believe we are each responsible for taking reasonable steps to maintain good health. We should eat healthy foods, exercise, not smoke, and avoid risky behaviors such as abusing drugs/alcohol or riding a motorcycle without a helmet. People who choose to live an unhealthy lifestyle should not have an expectation that others will pay for their medical care. There ought to be consequences for willfully abusing your body. However as Dr. Waldman so eloquently says:

People – as both the responsible persons and as national assets – must pay for the consequences of their decisions – both literally and figuratively.

Is there personal responsibility in healthcare? The unfortunate answer is no! Our present system not only discourages such responsibility, it actually prevents it.

You can read the complete post here: Is There Personal Responsibility in Healthcare?

This idea of personal responsibility is glaringly absent from the discussion on health care reform. All anyone seems to want to consider is how to fund the care of every person, regardless of whether or not they have behaved as responsible citizens. Do I really have a right to health care if I don’t take care of myself first? My driver’s license would be revoked if I purposely ignored the rules of the road day after day. I’d land in prison if I robbed a bank to pay my bills. All rights come with responsibilities. In a free country such as ours, each person must do his or her part as a responsible citizen — and that includes a responsible attitude toward personal health.