Really? That's your only criteria for thinking it's absurd? People need food to live, water too, and also clothing. Is it absolutely insane that all of these cost money?
I'm not defending the insane billing system of the U.S, because it truly is designed to be or at least accidentally off the wall with absurdities, but it's not ridiculous to charge people reasonably for many complex, expensive things that also require hiring specialist assistance. Somewhere down the line, somebody in any case needs to pay for it via money and time.
I think is the unreasonable ammounts that people end up paying in US that make it crazy to understand for non US.
For me as an European, i see anything related to healthcare as core to our society. You mention food, if i dont like an apple from a vendor i can just have another fruit that is cheaper this season. I wouldn't have that choice to change meds for my current ilnesses.
Yeah sure someone has to pay for it, but do meds need a 10000x markup compared to the 2x markup on food? US is such an advanced country in terms of science and tech that is scary to think people still die due to not being able to pay their cancer treatment.
"Illness is neither an indulgence for which people have to pay, nor an offence for which they should be penalised, but a misfortune the cost of which should be shared by the community."
How does this make sense when some people intentionally do things that cause illness?
And it’s not just Americans either, for example some Japanese like to intentionally eat fugu, meat from super poisonous puffer fish prepared in a very specific way.
Surely there’s no expectation for society to pay millions to treat someone who ate the 99.99th percentile fugu slice…
Loads of people do things that might result in a visit to hospital - my wife was hospitalised after a climbing accident (with a mountain rescue team and separate helicopter based team), I've been treated for cycling accidents and because one of our cats bit me...
You can either accept the vast bureaucracy of evaluating risk and paying for each bit of treatment or the much simpler and cheaper option of paying for it in taxes and giving everyone the same level of basic care and not worrying too much about the fugu eaters...
The main issue is that if you get bit you definitely need a rabies vaccine to live. Medicine it not the same as food or clothing. It is inelastic in nature. If I'm hungry I can eat a steak or an apple. When it comes to medicine we rarely have that opportunity.
I'm not defending the insane billing system of the U.S, because it truly is designed to be or at least accidentally off the wall with absurdities, but it's not ridiculous to charge people reasonably for many complex, expensive things that also require hiring specialist assistance. Somewhere down the line, somebody in any case needs to pay for it via money and time.