Consumers responsible for prevention

There is tremendous confusion about what health insurance is and is not. Health insurance does not manage health. Rather, it is a risk management tool to mitigate the potential negative financial impact of illness on the insured and their co-citizens.

Similarly, life insurance does not prolong life, disability insurance does not prevent injury and auto insurance does not prevent accidents.

Providing health insurance to all Americans is not sustainable as long as we expect someone else to assume all risk and we as individuals do not have to assume any risk. The lower the risk, the lower the expected return. Americans must accept that we as individuals have the responsibility to invest in and control our own risk.

It would be wise for the government to invest in preventative medicine. As an example, blood pressure, blood sugar and blood cholesterol monitoring programs should be supported by the government. However, individuals must take responsibility for their own curative insurance, as this is an open ended blank check and it is unrealistic to expect everyone else to pay for your blank check. Remember, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

ROBERT B. CHERENSON, D.V.M.
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