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Why doesn't Germany have this problem? Their system is insurance-based. Why can't Blue Cross Blue Shield (a nonprofit) avoid this cost problem but a Krankenkass

• michaelmrose 9y ago
  Because a tiny minority of the overall population profits from current inefficiency and if we revamped the whole thing even to massive public benefit some currently wealthy people would inevitably lose out. In America we are happy to burn a dollar as long as a rich person somewhere can make an extra penny. As a nation we have no notion of public ethics and haven't for decades. We believe in every man for himself and rather than resignation we feel pride. Venerating not caring about our fellow man as if it was self reliance. We believe in the dysfunction of the public sphere as an article of faith, implacable as gravity, instead of it being the result of our collective failure to build a system that works. We feel pride in ourselves when we ought to feel shame for all of us.
  • afarrell 9y ago
    > if we revamped the whole thing even to massive public benefit But this doesn't answer the question: what is the revamping that would be done to solve the problem? I get that "We believe in the dysfunction of the public sphere as an article of faith" is true and the answer to my next question "okay cool, so why haven't we implemented that", but I'd first like to know what "that" is. (not that you're on the hook for the time to educate me on a complex public policy issue)