The idea that private interests should act as risk management middlemen to ordinary people is perverse: that role belongs to society broadly, more narrowly as embodied in government. There’s never much ado made about using government as the final risk management backstop for corporations, but … gasp, clutch pearls … if one suggests the same for actual people.
@DavidM_yeg @ikanreed@mastodon.social @Rasta Well, reasonable people can disagree on that question for insurance, generally speaking; e.g. if I have to buy my own insurance then maybe I will avoid taking certain risks so I can save on insurance. Like, if I drive a car I should probably be the one who pays the premiums, I shouldn't force others to via taxes like you seem to be suggesting. That seems like a useful incentive structure.
And yeah, there's a lot wrong with private health insurance.
But I think OP is clearly overstating the point here; the reason for private health insurance to exist is to pool risk. Even if you believe this is not a good way to do that, it does serve that function.
