Quote:
Originally Posted by jamesqf
Why do you think the medical care isn't available? I think it is, to anyone who can pay for it. And that's the economic philosophy: that people get what they're able & willing to pay for, whether it's a mansion, private jet, Rolex, or whatever.
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That's odd. I remember an awful lot about death panels, rationing, and long waits if
everyone had the chance to get medical care. Or did you mean available to anyone who has been able to get the government to subsidize their use of it? That's not economic philosophy, it's tax policy. Really, the question is who has the power to force the government to subsidize their own personal expenses?
Making medical expenses tax deductible isn't just a government subsidy, it makes those costs higher for people at the lower end. People who can't just say "it's covered, do it." People who have to pay out of pocket and maybe, if everything goes well, manage to get some of that back with their tax return. Then market forces like large insurers demanding discounts force list prices artificially high, prices that only people without insurance will ever see.
I thoroughly enjoy being in the financial position to have my medical expenses subsidized by the government. I thoroughly enjoy waving an HSA card at things that aren't "covered" but are deductible. Why should I pay for prescriptions and whatnot with real money when I can do it with this wonderful card that used pretax money? It's great- I have enough money to get some awesome benefits from the government. People who don't make that much money don't deserve government help with their expenses, I guess.
I also enjoy my mortgage interest being deductible. I'm paying about what I was in rent, but I'm going to own it outright and Washington's subsidizing that. What I don't enjoy is people pretending that the government isn't spending money on their personal expenses. Because it is.