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Comment by skrebbel | Hacker News Reader

> "but now that i'm currently uninsured (i may do a follow-up post on finding cheap health insurance packages), i'm beginning to care more about my physical and mental health."

This one really scared me. The author wants to work on his health for money reasons? I know that money is virtue in California, but isn't this taking it a little to extremes?

I find the idea to screw up your health because you're "insured anyway", well, disturbing. Not sure I'd take sleeping advice from someone with this attitude.

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"The author wants to work on his health for money reasons?"

Why should that surprise you? If you're uninsured, you'll pay a small fortune for any medical expenses you might incur. (Hell, you'll likely pay a small fortune even if you are insured).

Hence, someone who's uninsured should take a pretty keen interest in maintaining and improving his health. I mean, obviously we all should. But for the uninsured, a health problem is also a potentially catastrophic financial problem.

"I find the idea to screw up your health because you're "insured anyway", well, disturbing"

I think that's a misinterpretation of the article.

"a health problem is also a potentially catastrophic financial problem", which is why this guy should probably stop focusing on his sleep schedule and do everything he can to get some coverage (probably easier said than done; I've never been in this position). A perfect sleep schedule won't help much if he steps out of his apartment and gets hit by a car.

Most people I've known prefer good health because it feels good and wouldn't need to cite lack of insurance, dishonest insurer, etc. as reasons to maintain it.

I think that's a misinterpretation of the article.

Or simple contraposition :-P

Or simple contraposition :-P

Please correct me if I am wrong, but if the relevant part of the article is "I do not have insurance, so it is important that I maintain my health", then the contraposition would be "It is not important that I maintain my health, so it follows that I have insurance." What you are suggesting as the contraposition is "I have insurance, so it is not important that I maintain my health", which is the inverse of the statement (and equivalent to the converse "If it is important that I maintain my health, then I do not have insurance."

Ideally, yes, you shouldn't need the specter of something like lack of insurance to motivate you to pursue a healthy lifestyle. That said, nobody's perfect. It's still a valid reason, even if it shouldn't be a primary reason.

Even though you probably take reasonable precautions to avoid germs anyway, you'd be much more careful if it cost $5000 to treat a cold.

I find the idea to screw up your health because you're "insured anyway", well, disturbing.

Which is not at all what he's saying.

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