Coercion should not be required either way. Any coercion happens on the part of the government; we all know that. The free market has been suppressed for so long that the concept of affordable out-of-pocket cancer care has been pushed out of the realm of discussion.
There could be a point here, maybe. The medical field has been carrying along so much bureaucratic cruft that it would be a daunting proposition for what would have been known as ordinary charitable organizations to help. Because for each poor soul helped there would be a handful or more of Caesar’s agents along for the ride.
And in anything that is a semblance of a democratic system, shame on the body politic for going along with that.
Affordable out of pocket cancer care is available offshore in the Caribbean or in Thailand or India. The British and Canadian skilled doctors who stayed in the field went to Asia. Americans are setting up shop in the Caribbean. For major medical it will eventually be the only practical path , especially for those over 60 or so.
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Not only that but the concept that insurance should be used to insure us against the possible advent of catastrophic illness or injury has been lost. If insurance companies are paying for what was once considered routine affordable medical care there will be fewer dollars available for major illness or injury. So they have to keep the probability of paying out for such low. One way is by screening out pre-existing conditions. Another is by raising premiums on everybody. Insurance benefits are not a bottomless payout pit. If more is going out than coming in a company will go under.