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Comment by thefz | Hacker News Reader

"nonprofit hospitals", let it sink in.

I take here "nonprofit" means same as it does with religions.

Why should there be any profit in healthcare.

Why should it be illegal to help people for profit? That is what doctors do, they profit a lot when they help people, they could live on much smaller salaries than they currently have but of course market economics makes it so we want to pay doctors higher salaries than they really need.

I think you’re addressing a different point than the person you responded to. They are asking for a positive argument regarding why healthcare itself should make a profit. That doesn’t imply banning profit, or that doctors aren’t compensated at market value

> They are asking for a positive argument regarding why healthcare itself should make a profit. That doesn’t imply banning profit, or that doctors aren’t compensated at market value

That is what it implies, there are many in the world who want to ban for profit healthcare and end pay discrimination between jobs. Nobody would ask that question in earnest, its just a rhetorical question to make a point.

People don't seem medical services because they want to, they do it when they need them. It is the only industry where there price list might as well be replaced with "we will take as much as you can afford". No one can afford to be stingy with money with health and live of their loved ones on stake. It is very asymmetric situation, so it is clear to me why someone would want to ban for profit hospitals.

Nothing you said there is related to for profit hospitals, I live in Sweden and we also have for profit hospitals here, wanting to ban for profit hospitals is just stupid. There have been many in Sweden who want to ban profits in healthcare so that you can't go and get a private doctor, do you really want to do that?

If you want to make progress in USA you must separate the crazy left from the moderate left, if you defend the people who want to ban private medicine then you aren't going anywhere. Those aren't your allies even if they pull in a similar direction, even if they sit in the same party in the two party system.

> we will take as much as you can afford

This is only true where medical service providers have no competition. In fact, the state often facilitates this lack of competition.

Why should someone sell food for a profit? We literally DIE within DAYS of we can't get food!

You see the issue here right?

Now.. who pays is the question. Imo it must be the state, because otherwise there are too many perverse incentives.

You don't foresee perverse incentives for the state being the buyer of healthcare? Namely, they aren't the patient, so the incentives have already been divorced is remote, plus they have an incentive to divert funds to consultants, regulators, and lobbyists that the actual consumer doesn't care about. There's some saying about how no one spends someone else's money as wisely as one's own.

States have huge incentives to keep the population healthy though. Sick days aren't a tax base.

What about keeping a healthy population for the sake of keeping a healthy population?

Why should everything be intrinsically tied to profit in your minds?

The previous posted talked about incentives. I countered using their intellectual framework. This is just normal debate.

To be fair, farms average 1-2% profit margins at best, its not like they are making bank off you, it is barely enough for most farms to survive even if they got 1,000 acres.

State funded healthcare is not for profit so your whole point is quite wobbly.

State funded anything is not for profit, too.

I was arguing against the previous poster using their logic. I agree the logic is stupid :P

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