Re:$1,944 for a coronavirus test? Readers helped us spot an ...
by josh_fyi on Thursday February 04, 2021 @11:35AM
(#26026930)
It's not a free market. The US health system is highly regulated, and most importantly, there is a huge tax incentive for health care to be paid for not by individuals but by employers who buy full coverage.
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Re:$1,944 for a coronavirus test? Readers helped us spot an ...
by revscat on Thursday February 04, 2021 @11:49AM
(#26027084)
This response is common, but flawed. At root it is a “no true Scotsman” fallacy. Behind that, it argues, or at least heavily implies, that the only “true” free market is one wholly unburdened by regulation. Such a thing does not exist outside of history books, and there are good, historical reasons as to why.
The fundamental premise, though — that the market is not ideal for healthcare —- remains. For shoes and smartphones, the market is fine. For MRIs and insulin, it is not.