Can't help but say you're lucky to be in this position, and I guess I am lucky, too, because while I might not have enough money to cover for such health expenses, by living in a "first world" country, my chances of profiting from medical advancements and receiving treatments are much higher than for people living in conditions far worse. If you've been struggling with your health for basically your whole life (I'm young, but that doesn't mean I get smooth sailing just because of that), you begin to attribute a very high value to health and health matters. In some ways, it can become an obsession, I guess.
For many people, especially if they're young, health is kind of a non-issue, but I don't think that should stop people from thinking about their future.
It follows the issue of why should I have to pay more taxes for people to live longer & older people to have healthcare, when I myself have enough money for private insurance and/or I am young and healthy!
I can't help but feel this is an American point of view. I mean, we get that here in Germany too, the question of why one should pay to support others, but in general, this is just how our system works. Growing up here and used to having health care like we have, it's sometimes hard to relate to this way of thinking. What they teach us at a very young age is that you being young won't last forever (and this still holds true - we'll see for how long
). One day, you will grow old and you will be more susceptible to age-related conditions, and then you will need support, too. Basically, it's sort of paying in advance, I guess.
Problem is, this calls for a certain standard of medical care. And often enough, this standard is kept at its current level because it works and is affordable for the whole system. People get used to it. Innovations? Too expensive. That way, progress is slow, and often frowned at. It's sort of a "do we really need that new techy stuff" kind of mentality I've encountered, in both young and old alike.
"All scientific advancement due to intellegence overcoming, compensating, for limitations. Can't carry a load, so invent wheel. Can't catch food, so invent spear. Limitations. No limitations, no advancement. No advancement, culture stagnates. Works other way too. Advancement before culture is ready. Disastrous."
There's definitely truth in that...