Au contraire, that is much closer to the definition of insurance. We don't want people to get bankrupt with an unforseen medical issue like cancer. Insurance should cover that.

Routine care, including shit that's a little unlucky should be paid for out of pocket.

In the US, health care and health insurance have become synonymous such that all the good bits of insurance are out the door and all the bad ones have stayed. And polluted the true cost of getting simple, routine care.

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tossandthrow 4 days ago | parent | next [-]

In that vain health insurance is never insurance.

Getting a kid is not an accident for most modern people, and should never be seen as an event that could bankrupt anybody.

Hence, deferring to the definition of insurance is futile.

Then again - the US is the only country I know of that insists that health is something you insure.

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prasadjoglekar 4 days ago | parent [-]

You need to broaden your horizons then - look at the medical plans that are on offer in India. Or the travel medical insurance that every EU country requires you to carry. They are classic insurance.

Having a kid without complications should not cost $50K. It should be a few grand at the most. If the kid now needs NICU, then yes, that's what insurance is for.

	▲	kamaal 4 days ago \| parent \| next [-]
		>>- look at the medical plans that are on offer in India. The one's that companies offer are quite good, actually. I'd have depleted my life savings, and gone bankrupt several times around COVID years with my parents health, if I didn't have company health insurance. Good for me, because I knew people in hospital sitting in the waiting lobby literally crying because they were done financially. Like finished for life. Having said, this in India the market for this things is still building up, and given how big India is it will take years before it reaches the US stage of profit seeking.
	▲	tossandthrow 4 days ago \| parent \| prev [-]
		So, I exanped my horizon Besides the states there is south Africa who treat having a kid as some catastrophic event that might bankrupt you. In EU countries the spirit of health insurance is socializing the cost / solidarity which we explicitly do not consider in the thread - please read the parents of that was not clear.

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mantas 4 days ago | parent | prev [-]

3k out-of-pocket for a random mishap could easily get many people bankrupt.

I did scratch an eyeball recently. The cost turned out to be €50 for drops which ain’t covered by single-payer insurance. 3k out of pocket would be pretty bad even naming nice salary. And could cause big issues to a massive portion of people.