Stuff happens even to the greatest, nicest of people.. we all deserve treatment. Those of us who are insured have been paying high amounts for the uninsured for years... I would not take back any money nor deny anyone treatment.. I am a pediatric nurse and work in an inner city hospital that never denies treatment..reagardless of ability to pay... so.. Obama's idea is not new just a lot more government say... bad, bad, thing.

the emergency room does no deny treatment to anybody that is sick. regardless of financial situation..

Yeah, I'm taking my Barbies and going home. No-one wants to play nice anymore.

I have often thought about this because at a very early age I became unisureable.

Except for the relatively short time my husband had coverage for the family we had catestrophic medical bills. Still for me to have the brain surgery that I need would cost a couple million.

Now the only way I can get that surgery is if I am immenently in jeapordary of life AND I have to assign my assets over to the state and have a welfare doctor do what is basiclly a very delicate surgery; probably his first and recouperate in a welfare nurseing home where I might or more probably would not get the care I need to recover.

Have I resented the billions of dollars that chain smokers, alcohilics and other addicts cost the system by chooseing to poison their body? Or the thousands of stockholders that made millions on bad drugs that helped heart conditions develope. Or the plastics that create factory dust that give people COPD? Sure but then I know I smoked and ruined my teeth who knows how much damage it was doing to my heart and lungs even though I quit 35 years ago.I know I worked at the best factory job I could when my son desperately needed me to support the family. I know when I am taking the pills that keep me walking so I can take care of my elderly father and not be a burden on my children are already restricted. Then it gets grey again.

Would I like to see more money spent to teach people the cause and effect of their choices. Sure. But I also know some people smoke, or drink, and yes even use drugs because they think they have the right to make a choice to relax, have a little fun, or sometimes to escape. Sometimes people just go to their jobs like the millions that have lung cancer from asbestos. It is all very complicated. I personally hope anyone who suffers from medical misery gets treatment by fairly compensated professionals who give quality care.

Only ten per cent of smokers get lung cancers.
We get lots of other cancers too.
Should we provide medical coverage to those who drive?
Car accidents/trauma is the number one killer of people under the age of 25.

Should we help pay for treatment of a person who has been in a car accident if they have previously had two or more tickets or accidents?

yes, not all cancer victims get cancer from smoking. Only lung cancer from smoking.

for christ sake, read the question "cancer victims who smoke?"

WHO SMOKE

To stop medical treatment of all who knowingly abuse themselves in one way or another is not the best way to go about population control...that would include the majority of us.

When it is time for someone to move on they will.

I have seen some who were treated for a so called deadly illness, follow up visits detect nothing, their health is restored only to die a few months later from a car accident.

Then others who have intentionally attempted to take their own lives. Who take enough pills to cause an elephant to drop dead, or even shoot themselves to only get up after wards and continue to live on.

Denying medical care may speed up a process, would also cause unnecessary pain and grief. Life has a way of working itself out.

Everyone should have a right to health care...EVERYONE. Artificial sweeteners are a cause of cancer, so then shall we not treat those who get cancer as a result of it? However, because the use of it is acceptable in our society, it makes it ok? So, I beg the question if someone smokes and uses artificial sweeteners, and drinks alcohol at times, sometimes speeds, eats bacon, should they not get treated for cancer or any other disease? Sounds like discrimination to me. We cannot pick and choose who we treat and who we don't, who is to say that the lung cancer was actually acquired by smoking, and lets say not due to previous exposure to asbestos?? There cannot be a blanket and resounding NO to this question, there are too many factors to consider.

wow..

I'm a smoker.

It's pretty sad the way some people think.

I cannot believe some of you. First off, some of you can't play nice. And I'm not even mentioning what statement set me off. However, at least some of us have some maturity and can at least bite our tongue.

Some of you have no right attacking with idiotic statements that are irrelevant to the topic. Grow up. This isn't high school.

Anyway, should we treat cancer victims WHO STILL SMOKE?

Yes. As stated before, everyone deserves health care. Even cancer victims who still continue to smoke.

For once, I did not analyze a question and make it more complicated than it was. Everyone else should have done the same and played nice.

My thoughts exactly. But then, this often happens.

Did this cancer patient pay into the system? then yes'
Do you have people who don't pay into the system yet still recieve medical treatment? Should they get it if they didn't pay into it?
Should a Chef get his finger stitched up if he cuts his finger while working? It could go on and on.

Simple answer all should recieve medical care reguardless of their personal habits.

A life should be considered Priceless and we should always do what ever it takes that could actually save that life....... regardless of their past habits............

Living and breathing causes disease!Should we help no one than??think about it!!!!

All living things die, complaints should be sent to designer.

someone gets drunk, so drunk they`re not of sound mind they are not themself

then they get in a car and drive off

they are put in jail for something they did when they were not in a state to make thought out desisions

but some one who smokes, knowing full well that they will almost certainly get cancer, is given sympothy and treated without judgement

Think it's time I back out of this thread.