There are people in our country who are actually advertising to young and healthy people that they should not sign up for medical insurance, that it is too expensive, that they don’t need it, that its taking away their “freedom.” This must be the most asinine argument, instigated by political objectives, that I have heard all year.

When I was 21, I went to work one morning and I didn’t feel good. I was in the military, so by 9:30 , when my stomach didn’t get better, I thought I’d go over to the base hospital and have myself checked. As it turned out, I had acute appendicitis, and by 3:00 o’clock that afternoon I was in the operating room. Since I was in the military, it did not cost me a dime.

Today I saw this bill online by a young man in a similar situation. His appendicitis operation cost $55,000, $43,000 of which his insurance paid, leaving him with a bill of $11,000. And an appendectomy is a fairly routine operation. No real complications, no significant hospital stay. Imagine the costs of a serious accident of any type.

I have a very hard time listening to the opponents of the Affordable Care Act actually advising young people to opt for the penalty.

Insanity.