$23,000,000,000 profit/29 million insured makes $793 profit per insured person.

That's huge isn't it? $800 bucks in profit per customer? What does Apple make? Or Unilever?

I'm pretty sure medical procedures cost a lot more than an iPhone, no matter how cheaply you're sourcing all of your materials and labor.

gruez 10 months ago | parent | prev [-]

Why compare to Apple, when the healthcare is arguably more complex and expensive?

They are just other things people commonly spend money on

chii 10 months ago | parent | prev [-]

the original OP is claiming that the healthcare industry is too profitable. So you have to compare it to something to see if it is too profitable.

	▲	gruez 10 months ago \| parent \| next [-]
		Right, but why use Apple ($800 phone every 2-4 years) compared to say, an automaker ($40k in depreciation over 10 years) or a REIT ($2000 in rent every month)? Moreover, why focus on absolute profits? If the healthcare industry split into 3 (eg. doctors, dental, drugs) but with the same margins, does that mean they're suddenly not "too profitable"?
	▲	intended 10 months ago \| parent \| prev [-]
		Nothing compares to tech. These are not equivalent comps.