[BobbyJo]

> don't think it's inconsistent. The people who advocate for free healthcare would probably also advocate for other parts of a social safety net, like food banks, food stamp programs, free access to water, temporary housing for the homeless and programs to get them to permanent homes, etc.

Isn't it though? "This thing should be free for everyone all the time" is a lot different than "we should help people out a little if they're down on their luck". Temporary housing, food banks, etc are the latter, and I'm all for the same with medicine. The fact that food and housing are subject to markets makes it easier for organizations to carry out such missions, which is one of the barriers you mention in your second paragraph when you talk about the complexities of dealing with insurance companies.

[mnhn1]

People don't consume healthcare "all the time" the same way they do food, housing, water. Preventive healthcare is cheaper/less work than treating illnesses that have gotten more serious, leading to less total consumption of healthcare (and those other downstream resources impacted by people avoiding preventive care). Also "Free healthcare available to all" doesn't preclude a private market. The Govt Healthcare is not always timely, may not cover treatments people want, or cover certain elective surgeries. Some people will always choose to participate in a private insurance market that provides value above a baseline govt health plan.

[BobbyJo]

You can't pitch ways of increasing demand as a fix for a supply shortage. You're just shuffling around how who gets what is decided. Why is a government agent deciding any more ethical than your bank account?

And creating a public market necessarily diminishes the private, driving up costs, as purchasers are now competing with government for the same supply.