[knuththetruth]

Option 4:

Decommodify every aspect of healthcare, from the education of doctors to the hospitals themselves. Invest massively in basic medical science research and provide the corresponding advancements and technologies free of charge to the healthcare system.

These treatments cost 100K because of the economic arrangements from which they emerge, not because that’s some inherent (or even sane) price. For a more concrete contrast, Japan has a healthcare system based almost entirely on government set prices for procedures and has better outcomes than the US.

[Arnt]

€100k per year isn't very many hours of professional attention per day. A nurse for an hour or two per day, a physician once or twice per week, an occasional consultation with another, some expensive equipment, and of course education and general facilities for all these professionals... it adds up.

How much is the fully loaded cost of one of your own your own working hours?

[knuththetruth]

I think a more useful question is how is it that developed countries like the US and UK have widespread unemployment, but no shortage of need of this kind of work? Perhaps the economy is massively misaligned in who and what it serves.

[Arnt]

From a quick look the NHS alone appears to employ slightly more health professionals than there are long-term unemployed in the UK, so perhaps the economy is massively misaligned... and perhaps it isn't.

[knuththetruth]

The NHS is well known to be suffering a staff shortage in GPs and other care workers, which will only be worsened in light of the immigration restrictions coming with Brexit.

This of course also ignores that all of the unemployed would never be funneled into healthcare alone, but in other social services and infrastructure work for which there is similar, dire need.