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Which countries? Price control doesn't work. It generates scarcity and supply problems. The case against price controls is not merely an academic exercise, rest
by meerita 7y ago
Which countries? Price control doesn't work. It generates scarcity and supply problems. The case against price controls is not merely an academic exercise, restricted to economics textbooks. There is a four-thousand-year historical record of economic catastrophe after catastrophe caused by price controls. This record is partly documented in an excellent book entitled Forty Centuries of Wage and Price Controls by Robert Schuettinger and Eamon Butler, first published in 1979.
- thefringthing 7y agoI live in Ontario where prices for medical care are negotiated by the provincial government, which you might regard to be a price control. The result is excellent, and one of several reasons I would never consider living in the United States.
- asdfasgasdgasdg 7y agoSwitzerland is one of many examples.
- meerita 7y agoThe system is universal, but not complete. In fact, you should pay and that's how it works and it doesn't generate scarcity. There is 3 types of services in Switzerland: public with 2500 bed, subsidised private and private. I will quote: > The insured person pays the insurance premium for the basic plan up to 8% of their personal income. If a premium is higher than this, the government gives the insured person a cash subsidy to pay for any additional premium. So, it's a basic insurance that doesn't cover everything. Also quoting: > "Health insurance covers the costs of medical treatment and hospitalization of the insured. However, the insured person 'pays part of the cost of treatment' and 'For hospitalisation, one pays a contribution to room and service costs'." As you can see, there's no 'free' but subsidizied basic healthcare treatments, but then you should pay everything.
- asdfasgasdgasdg 7y agoI believe we were discussing price controls, not whether it is "free".