Dog Ownership & The Health Care Debate
Dog bites account for one-third of all homeowners insurance liability claims. The average cost of dog bite claims was $24,461 in 2008. "The rise in dog bite claims over the course of the past five years can be attributable to the increased medical costs as well as the size of settlements, judgments and jury awards which have risen well above inflation in recent years" More than 4.5 million people in the U.S. are bitten by dogs annually, and nearly 900,000 of those--half of them children. The I.I.I. advises homeowners to consider purchasing a personal excess liability policy.
Whoa, that's a pretty big number. Notice that it is the cost of health care, and the cost of lawsuits, that is driving up the cost... not the breed of dog or anything to do with normal dog ownership or risks. So, this whole health care debate in the US affects dog owners, too. I have a lot to say about health care costs, but the bottom line is that if we socialize medicine, then these costs are NOT going to go down, but up. And if we don't reign in the cost of lawsuits, then it's going to get to the point where it is impossible to own a dog because of the liability. Freedom, competition, free markets are the answer. They always have been and always will be. And such freedom will preserve your right to responsibly own a dog of any breed. Think on that next time you hear some fancy speech from a politician. Vote Pro Dog. That means, vote for free market solutions.
Dog bites account for one-third of all homeowners insurance liability claims. The average cost of dog bite claims was $24,461 in 2008. "The rise in dog bite claims over the course of the past five years can be attributable to the increased medical costs as well as the size of settlements, judgments and jury awards which have risen well above inflation in recent years" More than 4.5 million people in the U.S. are bitten by dogs annually, and nearly 900,000 of those--half of them children. The I.I.I. advises homeowners to consider purchasing a personal excess liability policy.
Whoa, that's a pretty big number. Notice that it is the cost of health care, and the cost of lawsuits, that is driving up the cost... not the breed of dog or anything to do with normal dog ownership or risks. So, this whole health care debate in the US affects dog owners, too. I have a lot to say about health care costs, but the bottom line is that if we socialize medicine, then these costs are NOT going to go down, but up. And if we don't reign in the cost of lawsuits, then it's going to get to the point where it is impossible to own a dog because of the liability. Freedom, competition, free markets are the answer. They always have been and always will be. And such freedom will preserve your right to responsibly own a dog of any breed. Think on that next time you hear some fancy speech from a politician. Vote Pro Dog. That means, vote for free market solutions.
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