I know the EFF focuses specifically on informational issues, but stirring outrage over one abuse of a captive market when such abuses are by design is a disservice to general sanity.
It's ridiculous how many times I've seen this happen before.
The fact is that uninsured people has a devastating effect on the economy. It prevents movement of labour, affects productivity, promotion to higher socio-economic levels, prevents people starting businesses, affects crime and countless other social effects. You need to force people who don't think they need it to have it.
Your points about uninsured are valid, but it's much more complicated than just saying 'hey, you guys should insure everyone'. So I generally try and observe from the sidelines.
Does your boss decide what your health insurance will be?
Are health insurance companies in Australia publicly traded for profit corporations?
There's other questions I have but I wont ask because I feel that people may take them as attacks. (I don't mean to attack)
>it was driven from the needs of the government not the needs of the health care industry.
The white paper that became thd affordable care act was written by Liz Fowler who was a VP at one of the largest health insurance companies. After the ADA was passed she became a lobbyist for a major pharmaceutical company.
There are plenty of non-buggy software projects in captive markets. It's not an excuse. This is not a political problem, it's an engineering one.
Kind of like those toilet paper dispensers in public bathrooms that require a key to open and make it as difficult as possible to unroll a few sheets of what feels like sandpaper. Georgia Pacific has no reason to care about the person sitting there, powerless, on the toilet. Terrible user experience!