“Regulations started before Obama. ”
Oh sure they did, but There was more wiggle room than their is now, as far as preexisting conditions goes.
You aspirin example is cute but ignores reality. Once a person is in a hospital for whatever reason, be it emergency or “routine” you are at their mercy. Why would they charge $5 for an aspirin, you cant go down the street to the other hospital.
Furthermore, you cant even find out what the other hospital charges for an aspirin.
Try it.
Take a routine procedure: Child birth, perhaps the number one reason for hospitalization. Most are uneventful leading to a 2 day or so hospitalization. Call your local hospital, tell them you are paying out of pocket and are shopping around for the cheapest place (obviously this isnt an emergency.) Yo uwill not get a straight answer. If you dont want to cal yourself, there are some videos on youtube of this being attempted (though of course they can be fake).
“As a general rule, everything the government touches goes to gehenom.”
Even general rules have exceptions. I assume you agree military is best run by the government, roads, streetlights. etc.
“I also don’t think all employers should have an obligation to provide health insurance – that’s not fair to employers that can’t afford it,”
I agree! Let the government run it this employer run system is absurd
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