The Slacktivist discusses recent quotes from some people concerned that providing subsidized health coverage for poor people is what makes health care so expensive.
The Republican privilege-principle of Tyler Cowen, Bryan Fischer and Rick Perry isn’t just morally monstrous, it’s also bad economics.
“We need to accept the principle that sometimes poor people will die just because they are poor,” says Cowen.
“There is simply no way to control the cost of health care if hospitals are obligated to provide healthcare to all regardless of their ability to pay,” says Fischer.
But they’re both wrong. Poor people aren’t the source of the runaway cost of health care, and — even though there are so many of them — denying poor people access to health care still wouldn’t save much money.
It’s sick people, not poor people, who are responsible for the high cost of health care. There’s no savings to be had from excluding the poor, but trillions can be saved by excluding the sick.
Insurance companies figured that out a long time ago. That’s what all that “pre-existing condition” stuff was all about.
via To save money, don’t exclude the poor, exclude the sick.