According to today's 60 Minutes program, Americans most fear catastrophic illness or accident and loss of everything to enourmous medical bills.

I don't have that fear. No industrialized nation in the first-world has that fear, except America.

'sup, dog?

I'd have to say fear itself--nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance.

I fear fear because fear is the path to the Dark Side. Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering.

I fear fundamental changes in the national and world economy making the current system fold like a house of cards. Say, a complete collapse of the dollar to Zimbabwe-inflation type levels. You may say this is far too abstract and not my real fear, but the truth is that my wife and I have $380,000 of combined educational debt from choices made ten years ago, whose payment is very much predicated upon at least some form of payment for our services existing. That is our "catastrophic accident," our "loss of everything."

Who did you used to be?

Such as being ripped apart by wolves or dogs or some such.

I used to fear being alone, but that's changed. I can thank my H.P. for that. Thanks, H.P.

My name is Franklin Delano Yoda.

You're not a moose. Wolves take a moose little by little, feeding on him while he's still kicking. But a (full-grown) moose weighs 800-1200 lbs and can fight. Wolves (who never attack a human being unless the pack is starving and the human is alone and vulnerable) would circle you for a while, then rush you. They'd go for your throat, fast--probably break your neck. Adrenaline/endorphins would block the pain. Compared to cancer and the like, a piece of cake. Nobody would have to suffer along with you. Then, too, there's the recycling aspect. And the savings on funeral expenses. To top it off--maybe a little mystery to end your life, like Ambrose Bierce or Amelia Earhart. All in all, a pretty good way to go.

heh heh... ever the romantic.

Using my patented formula: that danger is equal to its probability multiplied by its degree of catastrophe, I rank some of my various fears...Public, not Private fears, mind you.

Nuclear War leading to the end of life as we know it.

Probability, about 15% in my lifetime. Catastrophic consequence: 10 on a scale of 10.

Zimbabwe like hyperinflation: probability, 15%, catastrophic consequences: 8.

Losing my life savings to a chronic medical condition: probability: 30%, consequences: 7.

America going fascist after going broke: probability, 30%, consequences, 7.

You see here that medical poverty and authoritarian government have scores of 21, which beat out even nuclear war (15) and hyperinflation (12). But it is hard to quantify some things. What are the chances of global warming as Al Gore predicts? Hard to say. One could always move to higher ground while millions of others were wiped out. I suppose there'd be a lot of competition to survive.

Various difficulties: time horizon, scope of the danger, probability.

Being trapped in a fire.

Sorry to have to be the one to break it to you, but your worst fear arrived long ago.

I've taken care of dying cancer patients. You're right regarding physical pain of the patient and emotional pain of loved ones. Cancer "treatment" is often worse than no treatment at all.

As for funeral expenses, my shell is to be donated as a cadaver to a teaching facility. Hopefully there won't be anything left for a physical funeral. My children are in agreement.

The health care system needs re-vamping, that is true. Many get raw deals who pay into it.

However, we are not without recourse or the ability to re-dress these issues and sue for damages should the current messed up health care system blatently deny some who really require certain procedures.

On the reality side of the issue that although the system needs some serious tune-ups and changes it is the best Health Care in the World,in terms of quality.

If it came to do it, most people do and can apply for emergency Medicaid if they lack assets and most cities have entire hospitals provided for the indigent and the poor that operate on State Medicaid costs alone.

I have heard many a good doctor complain and kvetch, over the years, about how people with money in foreign countries weedle their way over to America to get their heart surgeries because it is the best treatment in the world.

When these rich foreigners get here they use the Medicaid resources for their heart surgery(for example) that certain foreign VISAs actually allow for!

I have heard many a good doctor scream about this fact..that although certain 'county' and state run hospitals are supposed to be there for the poor often we lack in homeless 'outreach program'.

So, instead of the poor being treated the doctors are busy having to do heart surgey on rich Iranians or South Americans who have flown over on Visas and then use the Medicaid to get their surgery..because we have the best quality health care.

But these hospitals are supposed to be for our own poor.

So, much of the much vaunted tales of lack of Medical Insurance in America is a myth.

If you are an American, or as I noted above even a foreigner, form Iran or Iraq or yes, even Canada ;-)...you can come here find a way to tap into the complex health care system with a minimal of effort.

In fact most hospital's do this for people on their own. When someone has a catasprophic illness the hospital's themselves know how to tap into the system to get the funds they need to cover the costs of your health care.

But yes, it's quite complex and needs re-vamping overall, to make it more simplified for the average person who unknowingly either lets himself get ripped off by too high premiums aor simply ignores the fact that he should buy into a reasonable health care provider.

The quality of America's health Care is the envy of the world.

It's the easy access that needs to be re-vamped so people understand how to get it.

France is the the only country even close to the United States in quality of care. And they trump us in already having blanket coverage.

We need to overall re-vamp the pay system so we have a more equitable blanket protection in quality health care that everyone can access with greater ease...however...we don't want to lose quality when we make health care affordable to all.

Health Care does need to be streamlined and fine tuned so people can understand it.

In truth, I prefer Obama's rhetoric about Health Care but I trust HRC more in understanding at a deep level all the intricacies of the system.