Go, Economy!

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Originally Posted by Yoshi

That's a fair point, but I don't think we've done enough to understand the root causes of the costs. It's easy to blame the evil insurance companies, but they're not the whole problem and maybe not even the majority of it. Of course, pissing away money studying video games is more important.

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The problem with health insurance is that it adds nothing of value to health care.

It is an evil necessitated by the growth and development of health care in the United States.

The billions of dollars spent on health insurance do not make health care better. Instead, they service the massive health insurance bureaucracy that allows the rest of the health care industry to function.

Is the health insurance industry solely to blame for the cost of health care? No, not entirely. There is waste and inefficiency in that industry just like any other. But the health insurance industry is primarily responsible for the vast majority of problems with American health care.

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Originally Posted by Yoshi

I'm not claiming to have the answer, because no one has done the homework to find it. But the key seems to be in a looking at the entire system from insurance to care facilities to pharmaceutical companies, etc. If you focus on any one of those, you'll sub-optimize.

Unless we're talking about printing money, there is absolutely no reason a public system should be any more sustainable than a private one.

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Incentives. The government wants to keep people alive, the health insurance company wants to make money. It is one of those things where the private company improperly takes into account the utility to the whole, and therefore creates in this case a massive market inefficiency. It is very specifically these situations that the government is better suited to be in charge.

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Originally Posted by sleeve

The problem with health insurance is that it adds nothing of value to health care.

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This is true of every type of insurance, except, as diff said, life insurance, which is much more of an annuity program than anything else. Hell, even extended warranties add nothing to anything. I get that the health insurance industry is larger than others, but I have not seen a study that is holistic enough to lead to the conclusion you drew. I am somewhat surprised that no one is calling out the pharmaceutical companies yet though.

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Originally Posted by Anthony

Incentives. The government wants to keep people alive, the health insurance company wants to make money. It is one of those things where the private company improperly takes into account the utility to the whole, and therefore creates in this case a massive market inefficiency. It is very specifically these situations that the government is better suited to be in charge.

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I don't accept the premise that the government wants to keep people alive. The government wants to grow in a more damaging way than any private company or industry. There is no altruism behind this. It's a power grab.

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Originally Posted by Yoshi

This is true of every type of insurance, except, as diff said, life insurance, which is much more of an annuity program than anything else. Hell, even extended warranties add nothing to anything. I get that the health insurance industry is larger than others, but I have not seen a study that is holistic enough to lead to the conclusion you drew. I am somewhat surprised that no one is calling out the pharmaceutical companies yet though.

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There's never going to be one study to rule them all. There are tons of studies, along with a lot of other literature, etc.

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Originally Posted by Yoshi

I don't accept the premise that the government wants to keep people alive. The government wants to grow in a more damaging way than any private company or industry. There is no altruism behind this. It's a power grab.

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Ah, then this is the fundamental viewpoint that should be discussed. Though I'm sure you could agree to some degree the government is beholden to the wishes of the people?

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Originally Posted by Anthony

Ah, then this is the fundamental viewpoint that should be discussed. Though I'm sure you could agree to some degree the government is beholden to the wishes of the people?

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Yes, unfortunately there are a growing number of people who want the government to take care of them, so they are on board with the power grab.

edit: And this isn't just welfare stuff. It's stuff like supporting the Patriot Act or the TSA explosion.

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Originally Posted by Yoshi

I don't accept the premise that the government wants to keep people alive. The government wants to grow in a more damaging way than any private company or industry. There is no altruism behind this. It's a power grab.

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Jesus fuck. This is quite possibly the stupidest thing you have ever posted

I guess you think public safety was the primary driver of the wars in the Middle East. It's fine if you do. If you don't, then you agree with me by definition.

We are talking about the idea of public health care not wars in the Middle East. In the case of public health it's not about power grabbing its about taking care of the people. You know similar to the idea of highways, police, fire departments and such

Why is it so hard for you to get that you're paying too much for health insurance right now and have been for a long time. And it has nothing to do with the govt. Your beloved private industry is fucking you in the ass with two fists and you're cheering them on while they're doing it