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California to become first state to sell cheap insulin through state-backed program
(lemmy.blahaj.zone)
this post was submitted on 16 Oct 2025
1318 points (99.7% liked)
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Price floors and price ceilings reliably cause market failures like shortages and unemployment. If we're not willing to let people die without it, then we end up playing stupid games like "free emergency room only".
Economics is a social science and every proposal should be based on empirical results, not intuition.
Look at European economics. Healthcare isn't free but sure feels like it. Lifesaving medication is not free but you can ask social services for the money that you need and you can always survive. Water isn't free but if you can't pay you get the money to buy water. "Free" can be the same as having a price and providing people with the funds to pay that price.
So my argument was against "free as in beer".
I understand your argument. We certainly aren't the first to investigate this. Would you please provide a source for your claim?
What claim? That social services can provide money if you do not have it? Here's an example for the Netherlands. There's tons of socialist constructs in European countries that provide support if you have trouble.
No, the "more viable" claim. Compared to free as in beer.