A huge portion of the conservative backlash against health care reform was premised on the notion that reform would force people who choose to lead healthy, responsible lives to subsidize bad decisions by fat, lazy slobs. In reality, our health or lack thereof lies mostly outside our own control. But here is a way that the Affordable Care Act really is forcing responsible people to subsidize the irresponsible decisions of others:
In the health care debate this year, for instance, the N.R.A.’s lobbyists worked with the Senate majority leader, Harry Reid, to include a little-noticed provision banning insurance companies from charging higher premiums for people with guns in their homes.
Of course, people who keep guns in their home are choosing to run the risk of incurring injury or death. (Gun owners are eleven times more likely to have a household member attempt suicide, and four times more likely to suffer an accidental homicide or shooting injury, as to successfully use the gun in self-defense.) But now those of us who choose not to run this risk have to pay to subsidize their risky lifestyle. Let's see some conservative outrage!