No American Should Have to Choose Between Health Insurance and Getting Drunk

President Obama's prime-time health insurance speech underscored an important point: No American should have to choose between health insurance and paying rent, between health insurance and getting groceries--or getting drunk, getting designer jeans, or protein powder.

We hear so much about hardworking Americans who need health insurance, but what about the rest of us? Millions of uninsured Americans could afford health insurance, but it would mean giving up some really cool stuff. Support President Obama's plan to cover all Americans, because no American should have to choose between health insurance and protein powder.

Approximately 1.10 minutes. "Tough Choices" is written and produced by Ted Balaker. Director of Photography is Alex Manning.

For more information on the uninsured, go to http://reason.tv/video/show/get-some

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• health insurance
• health reform
• health care speech
• coverage
• health insurance plan
• speech
• president obama
• barack obama
• uninsured
• reasontv
• reason.tv
• universal health care

[Silvsilvchan]

You have a heart. How sweet.

I've work in soup lines for the homeless, I loan money to friends I know probably won't pay me back because of their hardships.

You demand the government holds a gun to every one's head, takes their money, and uses 10% of it on what they say they will and pocket the difference.

There's a difference in our hearts.

So you can piss off. =P

[emspeed1]

vastedda99

What an ignorant statement. Reason tv is a Libertarian organization. Here is a quote from the Libertarian party platform, "As Libertarians, we seek a world of liberty; a world in which all individuals are sovereign over their own lives and no one is forced to sacrifice his or her values for the benefit of others." More racism right? Of course, I get it. Don't like what you hear, but can't refute it? Shout racism. Your posts contain no valid points. Your turn, talk some more trash.

[felpaluche]

Oh my God! What a topic title!

[NJburbsSeeker]

The fact is it is about choices and many people want to bring the government in to help people who consistently choose poorly. The government's job is to help educate people so they can make the best choices. Some people will always need help, but they're a small number.

[swu880]

It is a VERY simple concept, the amount & availability of all real goods is very finite while demands are infinite. Thus all demands must be constrained to the availability of quantity supplied. And the PREFERRED good thus must be prioritized. So if u choose to sleep for that hour, that means u value the sleep during that hour MORE than studying spanish, making buisiness plans or increasing ur worth. u make ur own choice, u bear ur own consequence

[swu880]

You may choose either to sleep all 24 hours, go for a jog half the day, go on facebook, or go to work. It is your choice - that is unless someone else is coercing u (ie the govt). If u choose to sleep, u forgo the next 'best' choice available to u at that time. So if u sleep for an hour, that hour can NOT be used to say, learn Spanish. or it can not be used to work on ur business plans. etc

This is called an opportunity cost- the direct result of scarcity & prioritizing. 

[swu880]

@joshyabs

uh no there's not. it is called choice. All real goods are SCARCE. Scarce as in the quantity supplied of all goods can not meet all demands. Everyone has an infinite amount of wants & demands. Thus choices must be made & values decided upon & prioritized! For example, there are ONLY 24 hours a day. no more, no less.

[PissedFechtmeister]

No one should have to choose between buying food and paying income tax.

[joshyabs]

there were so many fallacies in this

[pluto4847]

@rrp1973

I think you overgeneralize the insured and uninsured. There are some who do everything right, yet still cannot afford health insurance. I think the problem is down to not whether you are insured or not, its a matter of principle. There are several people who have insurance that is supposed to help them get the treatment they need, and even if they pay the premiums their claims are denied.

I just broke my leg so I hope my insurance company won't drop me. I paid into it.

[rrp1973]

I wonder how many of those 50 million uninsured take a vacation once a year, have more cars than they need, have a nicer car than they need, a bigger house than they need, cable, a home filled with electronic gadgets. it is outrageous to me that people will claim others should pay for one of their necessities while they enjoy luxuries. I am not heartless, some people get screwed by life. But the left frames the argument as if 50 million people are getting screwed. nonsense.