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Re:FTC to crack down on companies taking advantage of gig wo... by a-user-you-like on Saturday September 17, 2022 @01:29PM (#32879354)
It used to be, and should be again, that the hospital owner or physician would foot the bill if you couldn’t pay. Much more direct charity, a beautiful thing.

Taxing everyone to hell to cover every health expense is immoral.

Re:FTC to crack down on companies taking advantage of gig wo... by dividefuel on Saturday September 17, 2022 @01:38PM (#32879439)
How is it more moral to force someone to provide care for free than it is to tax the populace to provide universal care?
Re:FTC to crack down on companies taking advantage of gig wo... by a-user-you-like on Saturday September 17, 2022 @02:09PM (#32879762)
I wish those advocating universal taxing for crappy care would take the moral high road and not rob his fellow citizen to pay for his bills. Instead, let his fellow citizen give freely in love.

Universal healthcare is such a moral sham, and what we have now in the US is also pretty bad. There is a better way.

Re:FTC to crack down on companies taking advantage of gig wo... by Dylan16807 on Sunday September 18, 2022 @06:14AM (#32886150)
If you really mean donations, you are not going to get that many billions of dollars in donations. This specific "better way" does not exist.

If you're trying to get enough hospitals to do this that people don't just go to a cheaper hospital, then almost all hospitals are going to have to raise their prices... and that's effectively the same as a tax. They're "robbing" every patient the same way.

Re:FTC to crack down on companies taking advantage of gig wo... by a-user-you-like on Sunday September 18, 2022 @11:00AM (#32888087)
Of course I mean donations, either through your family, church, or beyond. Of course it’s possible, there’s even a network now called Samaritan’s that facilitates this.

The hospital can turn of course offer to foot the bill, but can do so only after you’ve exhausted other options. But none of this is forced.

Re:FTC to crack down on companies taking advantage of gig wo... by Dylan16807 on Sunday September 18, 2022 @12:34PM (#32888918)
You won't get enough. People will go bankrupt, which makes everyone else pay but in a messier and overall worse way than taxes.
Re:FTC to crack down on companies taking advantage of gig wo... by mixedCase on Saturday September 17, 2022 @01:44PM (#32879502)
Not going to defend universal healthcare or healthcare taxes, seeing I'm currently getting fucked by that at this moment, but given the way you wrote that I feel that you need to be pointed out that this results in either:

1) More expensive healthcare, to cover for these cases directly in a fund or via third party insurance.

2) Healthcare scarcity.

You can't draw blood from a stone. Healthcare investors/workers at large don't get in to become a charity so your "solution" comes with explicit downsides you should mention.

Re:FTC to crack down on companies taking advantage of gig wo... by a-user-you-like on Saturday September 17, 2022 @02:36PM (#32880029)
It only results in those if you keep the regulation levels high, which we have now. We need a multi-faceted approach which lets the market lower prices. Local control, local solutions. More efficiency, human touch, love.

No solution is perfect, but that’s a world that’s more personal for those helping and being helped. It also is more economically efficient. I’m not saying this is the only solution, but one that starts with robbing your neighbor is the moral low route and we should and can do better.

Re:FTC to crack down on companies taking advantage of gig wo... by Spoom on Saturday September 17, 2022 @01:44PM (#32879508)
Force hospital to provide care for indigents -> hospital raises prices for everyone to cover -> same effect as a tax. I'd much rather just be up front about it.
Re:FTC to crack down on companies taking advantage of gig wo... by a-user-you-like on Saturday September 17, 2022 @02:23PM (#32879906)
Not forcing, the universal crap care option is forcing through robbing his neighbor.
Re:FTC to crack down on companies taking advantage of gig wo... by abofh on Saturday September 17, 2022 @01:57PM (#32879656)
Where do you think those dollars go? Hospitals aren't that great of an investment, but insurance companies are