| > I have occasionally wondered if, in some kind of time-travel scenario, I could convince the local royalty that subsidizing healthcare for the masses would ultimately benefit them years down they line when they need an experienced doctor who knows how to do some kind of surgery. Your intuition that subsidies can increase outcomes for even the super wealthy is correct, but it should be noted that this already happens today. Subsidies for healthcare, including for highly specialized and technical procedures that are expensive, yield: - Increased Access to Cutting-Edge Treatments - More Skilled & Experienced Surgeons - Lower Costs Through Economies of Scale - Encouragement of Medical Research & Innovation For instance, for heart surgery in particular, in the US, there is Government Subsidies and Assistance (Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP, VA, and ACA) as well as Private and Non-Profit Aid (HealthWell and PAN Foundation, American Heart Association & Mended Hearts, Hospital Financial Assistance). Then there are major healthcare foundations funded by billionaires, focusing on medical research, global health, and disease prevention. Some of the more notable and impactful ones are: - Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation - Chan Zuckerberg Initiative - Howard Hughes Medical Institute - Michael & Susan Dell Foundation - Helmsley Charitable Trust - Open Society Foundations - Bloomberg Philanthropies - The Wellcome Trust |