[jerf]

Yes, of course. But "idiot marketing guy" isn't the worst case scenario, nor is it even the worst plausible scenario. Job loss and inability to get health insurance aren't hypothetical concerns... laws have been written about this because they happen, at scale. While I'm inclined to think the regulations as they stand today are heavy-handed and more expensive than they need to be to get the job done, that doesn't negate the fact that they exist for a reason, a reason that isn't just hypothetical but happened a lot.

[rwallace]

Job loss and inability to get health insurance are serious issues, granted. I will suggest the root causes of those need to be tackled for other reasons anyway, starting with the utterly insane practice of having employers involved in health insurance.

[fixermark]

It seems almost like the real issue is the insurance schema that makes medical care inaccessible without third-party money.

This notion suggests that the right place to start the kind of big-data medical disruption that could work would be a nation with a weaker or nonexistent medical insurance framework.

[rayiner]

It's not just insurance. Companies these days are using credit history as a reason to deny people employment. The credit card companies will hand out this information to almost anyone. Imagine what these folks will do with medical data.

[laurenstill]

...and the hospitals are using credit card data in their population management models. Oh, you've stopped by the liquor store 3 times this week and now presenting with pancreatitis? Sorry, you are now in our "at risk" billing class.

Just cause I'm feeling particularly paranoid today.