[knuththetruth]

>A world where you didn't have to pay upfront would make care even more expensive because doctor's offices have to essentially become banks.

Those are called nationalized healthcare systems and are almost all cheaper than the US’ privatized system?

[Spivak]

Huh? The doctor is still getting guaranteed payment but by your government instead of you. I mean the world in which doctors had to accept patients regardless of their ability to pay and have to try and recover later.

[Broken_Hippo]

Um. Nationalized health care. Sure, they get payment from the government, but this isn't much different than waiting on insurance to pay in the states.

My yearly out-of-pocket is about 300 a year for regular medical: Another 300 for physical therapy and a few other things. This includes maintenance prescriptions. The rest is out of taxes - the main difference is that I can plan for these things. Once people hit the out of pocket, they get a special card to pay with. Most doctors offices will bill folks without an issue and I think they are required to see people even if they can pay, though I'm not sure how late bills affect folks.

That world exists in some forms, and if folks would agree to it, surely could exist more places.

[knuththetruth]

Apologies, thought you were excluding this kind of arrangement in your argument.