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The government is subsidizing testing so very few people, even those who would could afford it otherwise, will be willing to pay for it. With no cost, controlli
by lucaspm98 5y ago
The government is subsidizing testing so very few people, even those who would could afford it otherwise, will be willing to pay for it. With no cost, controlling demand becomes a function of time instead of price. Whether this is a better solution is up for debate but capitalism isn’t filling the need efficiently because, well, it isn’t even close to a free market.
- skohan 5y agoI would think that in a city like New York with multiple large international airports, there would be plenty of people willing to pay to get the PCR tests they need to get on an international flight on time. There must be thousands of people per day who need to get a test to get on a flight at EWR or JFK. Currently that appears not to be the case, and there is no simple and reliable way to guarantee getting a test on time. This seems to be a market failure, and it is not obvious to me why the market has not stepped in to fill this gap.
- xur17 5y agoMy local airport has PCR tests available with results in 35 minutes for $200. Every time I've looked, they have tons of appointments available for the same hour / within a few minutes. And outside of the airport, last time I flew United directed me to some options that were $150, but had results the same day. At least where I live, there are definitely quicker options if you are willing to pay.