Chris Rangel thinks so:

The average American plans neither for retirement nor for future health care costs even though it is well within the fiscal ability of most of us to do so. The usual scenario is to spend like fiends for 40 years and then let the tax payers pick up the tab. This is usually advantageous since the average American tends to utilize far more health care dollars towards the end of life than they actually contributed during their working lives.

It is into this sad context that universal health care will likely become a reality in the next 5-10 years. At that point there will be even less incentive to save money to pay for one’s own future health care costs because, after all, the general consensus is that health care is something that is paid for by someone else. And that someone else is ME; the taxpayer in the top income bracket. So you can go ahead and enjoy that 65-inch plasma HDTV even though you didn’t make enough money to afford it. It’s on me!