Who's picking up the check?

Recently a story of a man willing to go to jail has hit the media. For those of you who've missed this, here is a quick recap and a link if you would like more info:


http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43479572/ns/health-health_care/?GT1=43001


Basically he's not financially stable and has no insurance, and while this may cover a majority of Americans right now, this man believes he has a health problem and needs to get it taken care of. And to get that done for free, he is willing to sacrifice his freedom. 


This isn't the first story someone taking advantage of our current system, nor will it be the last. Although going to jail might seem extreme, others make major sacrifices to get the perks that the government offers. The other day while listening to a popular call in radio show that dealt with personal finance, a lady who was unfortunate enough to be diagnosed with a debilitating disease called in to get financial advice on how to distance herself from her family. She was willing to divorce the husband she loved in order to preserve their nest egg they had grown to retire on. Her idea was to divorce and show no possessions as to be eligible for welfare and medicaid when her disease got so bad that she would need full time care. As heart breaking of a story this is for the family, I think she's missing the point. 


I have also heard stories of inmates in immigration holding facilities getting hip replacements, definitely not a life threatening surgery. Unfortunate things happen in life, and these things happen whether you are prepared or not financially. There is no shortage of sad stories involving health care, natural disasters, or even random violence. These are people that have taken no excessive risk but fall under the consequences. But the ideas that the government should be responsible for them are not only harbored by a few that live below the poverty level, but those that think it is a more attractive option than dealing with it themselves. 


I would love to hear feedback about your ideas or solutions to this problem. Personally from a health standpoint I think it is our own responsibility to stay proactive with our health care. While certain problems arise that we cannot foresee, many chronic health care problems that are extremely costly are avoidable. No matter what health problem you may have, there are many hospitals and clinics that will work with you on cost and payment plans. Many communities have groups that have money available for those that can not afford high medical costs. All of these may take some effort, but still fall in your responsibility. 


Please leave a comment on ideas that you feel would work to help people get the care they need with out having to "cheat" the system, leaving someone else with the bill. Or if you feel that too much of the health care burden is placed on us and we should be getting government support, state that as well!