> Consider the case where some business could sell you a product or service that might add years to your life. How much is that worth? My gym membership is EUR

> Consider the case where some business could sell you a product or service that might add years to your life. How much is that worth? My gym membership is EUR 19.95, what's that got to do with anything? :) > how much is your health worth to you? Whatever percentage of my income currently goes into my health insurance over here in Germany. That's paying towards my health and the health of those unable pay in right now (or ever, I don't care, it's not their fault most of the time and could just as well be me). I plan on getting private health insurance to get better level of care for myself because I can financially afford it, that doesn't imply that those unable to should feel entitled when they seek treatment imho. The opposite of the US system is neither free, nor massively discounted. You're just overpaying on stuff much of the rest of the world managed to put in more effective systems that do not put massive strain on the population. If you don't mind a different perspective here: Framing that as entitlement always seemed odd to me since I don't get why some medical corporation should be held in higher regard than the population of the country that provides them with a market in the first place. > Why is it somehow unfair or immoral if someone buys such a product or service, without considering their ability to pay, and bankrupts themself? Because those people suffer, in the worst case die, in the best case put other costs on society as a whole? We generally moved on from exiling the ill in most firsts world countries, which is what happens if society does not (at least minimally) provide for those that cannot afford to do so themselves.