No, money isn't everything and it can't always protect you from illness, accident or tragedy as a number of you have already pointed out. The thing is however, that comeback is regularly rolled out as if people without money never have to face illness, accident or tragedy which is of course nonsense. In a similar vein, money doesn't buy you happiness is another ridiculous saying because it implies that no-one well off is ever happy or conversely, that poor people are nonetheless happy with their lot.
A very close relative of mine was diagnosed with one of the most terrible life limiting conditions you can imagine, with the sort of repercussions that'd be many people's worst nightmare. There was no rhyme nor reason to it and any of us could be struck with similar dreadful luck at any time. Thankfully, from a quality of life perspective they were able to afford private medical care, and adaptations, aids and so on, in order that their last months were as least awful as possible. I'm very thankful they could do that and that they didn't suffer endlessly for years as some have to. Nonetheless it made me think how different things might have been without the slight cushion money gave them. Frankly, their last months could have been even more hellish ..... and that scenario obviously applies to people with all sorts of illnesses, disabilities and conditions who have no choice but to depend on an ever more inadequate NHS, often combined with the additional stress and discomfort of unsuitable accommodation as well.
So of course money is hugely important. Not in the sense of buying unnecessary material goods like flashy cars or stupidly expensive shoes .... but simply for the relative freedom and choice it affords. Housing, health, education, general well being. Delving even deeper .... proper nutrition, suitable clothing for whatever season (has anyone spent a winter in a pair of canvas shoes?), the security (and therefore the alleviation of stress) which comes from owning your own home and knowing you can pay essential bills, the ability to actually transport yourself from a to b instead of being trapped within a 'radius of affordability', the ability to partake in social interaction with other people. I could go on and on and on .....
Money doesn't guarantee you'll be dancing about in a state of heightened glee 24/7 but for many (most?) who have little or no money and for whom everything is a never ending struggle of worry, an income boost would make life significantly better. I certainly don't feel entitled to be happy all the time but I would simply like to feel reasonably content and secure more often than not.
When others - who are most often rather better off - start spouting all the old cliches about having money which, I can't help thinking, might have originally evolved as a device to keep 'the poor' in their place and not rise above their station by wanting 'more', I actually find it incredibly intelligence insulting. There are so many ways in which my life would be unimaginably improved with just a little more money, and so many millions of others who are in exactly the same position. Most of us by the way, and before someone says it, work very hard indeed but get little meaningful reward for doing so. Why shouldn't 'we' wish our lives were easier, with more security, less stress, with a better quality to them? We are no more immune to the lottery of life than someone with money so please don't tell me that money's not important and follow that up by recounting a particular incident in your life where money didn't help. Guess what, poor people suffer similar incidents too, but without money can be dragged down even further by grief and/or stress because they then find themselves in impossible positions they have absolutely no control over - like being able to travel (or not) to say goodbye to a dying loved one, or returning to work when they're in no fit state to do so. If you're fortunate enough never to have been in truly desperate financial straits I don't know how I can properly convey how sickeningly gut wrenching it feels. You are all but disimpowered. It makes you feel shitty and worthless. It has a huge impact on mental health, quite aside from all manner of physical health issues which can exacerbated by not being able to buy what's needed (like properly fitting shoes, like heating, like dental treatment, glasses, disability aids and so on).
I actually have a lot more respect for people who hold their hands up and say yes, I'm well off and yes, I'm totally appreciative of all the twists of fate that have put me in this position. Yes, I'm enjoying life and I'm thankful for what I have. NOT ah well, I have my own lovely house, and decent standard of living but 'money's not everything' or 'money doesn't buy you happiness'. Funny how so few people who say stuff like that actively leave the money behind, so they obviously recognise the benefit in having it even when there are other aspects of life they're not happy with ...