This was a hundred years ago. They probably didn’t lose money on that plan. I wasn’t advocating what they did then for now. I was pointing out the free people will come up with innovative solutions to their problems that the expert central planners could never dream of.
I am in full agreement. I know of an older doctor that maintains an office. I think maybe he does not do hospital patients but he’ll do in-office surgeries, etc. He does not charge anything—it’s pay whatever you want. He doesn’t take insurance.
Yeah, like this fine gentleman:
Clinics use innovative model to treat uninsured people - Patients act as benefactors ...
Charity? Perhaps the doctors who worked with these sisters donated their time for this hospital (or did it for vastly reduced rates).
As I recall, the “insurance” scheme used by the Knights of Columbus, when originally founded, was that if a brother died, each brother in the council would pony up a dollar or two to support the widow and children. Plus take care of them afterwards (help around the house, help with purchases, etc). In the mid 19th Century, 100-200 bucks could really make a difference...
Now the Knights run one of the biggest insurance companies in the country. The benefits payout is a lot larger...but I wonder what it would be if they still did what they did in the beginning.