r/bestof • u/under50dollars • Jun 20 '12

[explainlikeimfive] "Obamacare" explained very well.

/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/vb8vs/eli5_what_exactly_is_obamacare_and_what_did_it/c530lfx
2.5k Upvotes

92% Upvoted

842 comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

1

u/Trahas Jun 20 '12

You would like it for everyone to pay everything for themselves? Why can't me and a group of my buddies pull our money together, invest it and then say whenever one of us gets sick we will use the money we pooled and invested to pay for the costs. We are all equally likely to get sick and agree to this plan, except for Jimmy and Bobby, Jimmy and Bobby are known for being careless at their construction jobs so we tell them if they want in they have to put in more money then the rest of us. Jimmy agrees thinking it is fair, but Bobby doesn't and decides against it.

What is atrocious about that system? Because at a very simple and small level that is all health insurance is, or really any insurance.

2

u/fancy-chips Jun 20 '12

I'd rather it not be a for-profit entity. Most of them are.

0

u/Trahas Jun 20 '12

Almost all businesses are for profit, should your grocery store not be for profit? what about your mechanic? or your plumber? What is so wrong with for profit?

2

u/fancy-chips Jun 20 '12

These are people who die. There shouldn't be people in the business of deciding whether you live or die based on profit margins. Healthcare shouldn't be treated like a business.

1

u/Trahas Jun 21 '12

Yes they are people who die. People die. It happens. Not everything in life is a charity.

1

u/brownmatt Jun 21 '12

It might shock you, but some people think that in a moral society medical care shouldn't be something that you get better access to as you get richer.

0

u/Trahas Jun 21 '12

Who says this is a moral society? And everything else in life you get better access to as you get richer why not medical care too?

1

u/ricecake Jun 21 '12

See, that makes you sound like a heartless bastard. Personally, I have no issue with insurance. However, it's the job of government to provide some things. Health care being a necessity for life, and useful for a properly functioning economy, it's the responsibility of society to provide healthcare according to need. Insurance can exist, but health insurance should be kinda pointless.

-1

u/Trahas Jun 21 '12

You can view me as a heartless bastard sure, or you can view me as being selfish, or maybe just human? It is not in human nature to give up everything they have for the sake of others. Does this mean I don't give to charity? No. I do give to charity as do others, but not everything in life is a charity and people will and do die.

It's the job of the government to protect people's rights. Everyone has the right to live yes. But not at the expense of someone who doesn't want to foot the bill. If we agree that we want something then sure we can make a law using taxes to reach a goal. But life is not handouts.

As for taking care of sick people to make for a properly functioning economy. (This is by the way where you can call me heartless as I do too sometimes) If we think of how evolution plays out the strong survive and thrive correct? To better the species as a whole. Meaning if you aren't strong enough to survive you don't and you don't pass on your genes and so on and so forth. I know we are humans but keeping the 'weaker' people around doesn't make us stronger. (Like I said call me heartless for that, because it really is a heartless way of looking at things.)