In a message of 10-04-1900, VERN FAULKNER wrote re: MCDONALDS KILLS MORE THAN
JT> trying to point out that your "individual choice" to not
JT> consistently wear a helmet when riding a bicycle may affect many
JT> more people than just you.  It strikes me as deceptive to refer
VF>  So you'd like to sieze control of my wallet? Is that it?
Actually, I see it the other way around.  Your "individual choice" can end up 
costing me money if/when you become indigent as a result of a serious head 
injury.  I've seen it happen.  Just because the money comes out of a general 
pool of "taxpayers" or "insurance policy holders" doesn't mean it isn't 
reflected in the rates I pay.  When a patient in a hospital becomes indigent, 
either the state picks up the tab or the hospital eats the bill, or some of 
each.  Long-term care (eg, nursing home, etc) of indigent patients is almost 
always born by the state. Because of the nature of  the injury and length of 
treatment and rehabilitation required, head  injuries have a 
disproportionately greater likelihood of exhausting a  patient's insurance 
and other financial resources than most other types  of injuries.  Those 
costs that are not covered by the patient's own  insurance and other 
financial resources are recovered in the form of higher tax and insurance 
rates for the population in general.  I just heard a  statistic from a 
neurosurgeon group that over 40 *BILLION*  dollars was spent treating and/or 
rehabilitating head injuries in  the USA!  To me, that is a non-trivial 
amount of  money.  So please, don't gripe to me about *MY* hand in *YOUR*  
wallet!
* KWQ/2 1.2i * Internet: John.Thompson@ibm.net
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