Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Will the Amish look for a new country if mandatory health insurance becomes law?

The Amish are very independent and like to be left alone. If they are self-employed in farming, they probably don't have big incomes. They are frugal people who live within their means. But required health insurance will surely be a budget buster. And I can't imagine them going down to the local welfare office to ask for a subsidy. I can't imagine their being too happy to have to reveal their income and assets to the "English" in their communities, or perhaps having to pledge the family farm to repay the subsidy when they die, ending the farming tradition for their families.
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The Amish are very careful medical consumers. If an Amish person is seeking medical treatment, it indicates that it is an emergency or a very important concern. # The Amish religion does not forbid its people to seek modern medical care. When necessary, the Amish can have surgical procedures, dental work, anesthesia, or blood transfusions. Organ transplants are permitted, except for the heart. The Amish believe the heart is the soul of the body. (Exception: Pediatric patients who have not been baptized can receive a heart transplant.) # In some Amish districts, all forms of insurance are discouraged, including medical insurance. The Amish believe insurance is a "worldly product," and purchasing it shows a lack of faith in God. # The Amish pay little attention to preventative care. It is hard to impress upon them the importance of immunizations, cancer screenings, PAP smears, and mammograms. This is largely because they believe that God heals them, but also because they might not be able to afford preventative care. # Many Amish will refuse an autopsy. # The Amish do not believe in birth control. # Most Amish need to have church permission to go to a hospital because the church pays for such care. # Amish discourage the use of Life Flight helicopters.
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