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Madsen misses point

Sue Lani Madsen’s health care points about irresponsible lifestyles are valid yet moot (July 29 column).

The need for Obamacare arose from the reality that private sector workers (the working poor) particularly have little or no health coverage in their jobs, so they run to bankruptcy court or just stiff health-care providers entirely. This reality just causes providers to raise prices on paying customers. With or without Obamacare, it’s still socialized medicine. Only debtors prison could solve unhealthy lifestyle choices Madsen mentions.

I know a 23-year-old who was lured to Montana to downhill skateboard and sustained a traumatic head injury and ended up in an intensive care unit. The fact that Idaho wouldn’t expand Medicaid and pay his large hospital bill made no difference to the judgment-proof youth, only to the hospital that got stiffed.

Madsen, or any libertarian, misses that reality entirely.

Mike Reno

Post Falls

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