Hi and thanks for responding. At long last reasonable political discussion , even amongst those who disagree.

I'm a one person entity, free lance, as is my wife. When you work free lance , unless you're part of a union or collective, which doesn't always apply to what you do, health insurance is remarkably expensive. That's why it's so expensive.
Now I agree with you on the issue of responsibility. We're both over 40, relatively healthy, take care of ourselves, and fortunately don't have regular issues for which we need to see doctors. But as you get into your 50's things come up, and even the healthiest may have stuff to deal with, let alone some of the more sensible tests, colonoscopy, mammagram, etc.

My view is that health care should be a right, much in the way that we assume the protection of our nation by our military, or local police, or fire departments responding as needed.
I think there's a large gap between having government serve some function for the general well being of it's citizens, and being defined as a welfare, nanny state or socialist nation.
That's why I used the school tax as an example. Paying school taxes for people who don't have children in public schools isn't unfair in my view. It's what being part of community, and nation is about.
Our nation's infrastructure depends on some degree of taxation as relates to paying for what's needed. That doesn't mean I think we should always raise taxes. Which does bring us to the matter of corruption. No doubt that corruption shows it's ugly face in too much of our lives. Our politicians, out of control corporate giants, the military industrial complex, etc.
I certainly don't profess the answer to solving that. Maybe term limits, better oversight. I don't really know.
But I still feel that the bankruptcy issue is not one of lack of personal responsibility, but rather the facts of the matter.
Decent, hard working, self reliant Americans unfortunately face events, the sick child or spouse and then the entire dynamic changes. I have a friend who works for a small business. His health insurance is covered. His wife came down with cancer. Her condition not only topped out their coverage, but drained their savings and raised the rates of everyone else in the business.
It doesn't make sense in America.
And what I've learned from history is that all great changes, such as the rights of women and minorities who were left out of basic "rights", were historically met with voices of opposition for fear of how all would be undone, let alone the expansion of the federal government. They weren't. It made us greater.
I'm not a lover of big government. Liberty and freedom for Americans is utmost. But I don't support the notion that government is always the problem either. Seems to me that there must be a middle ground between those two views.
While the Canadian, French, Israeli and English health care systems are far from perfect, one thing is true. You're covered. I have relatives in 2 of those countries and a friend in the other. No one is dying waiting for procedures. No one is dying from their prescription drugs. If that were so their life expectancy would be lower then ours as would be their infant mortality rate. In fact, the opposite is the case.

This health care change is a start. It'll likely need to be amended regardless of the form it takes. And I believe it to be in the best interests of a secure, Capitalist free American society to view health care as a right.

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