| ...to other industries?
Say I can make a 6% profit by selling top quality brake pads, but also have the option of making 20% by selling cheaper pads made in an offshore factory with questionable quality control.
It would be easy to do.
And that profit bump would be tempting.
Does that potential for abuse mean the auto parts industry is, at its core, immoral?
You say the insurance industry is immoral because of the potential for abuse--because the temptation is too great to maximize profit by denying coverage. Doesn't every business include a "temptation" to maximize profits by cutting corners?
It seems to me that temptation is not immoral. Immoral behavior is immoral.
I said in my first post that I'm not defending anyone who would refuse to cover something they're supposed to cover. But when I sign up for an insurance plan, I am entering into a contract that I do my best to understand and which both parties have a legal obligation to respect. I pay attention to what is covered and to what extent. I know my deductible and my maximum out-of-pocket expenses. And I comparison shop before selecting an insurer.
Do I have the right to expect that insurance company to cover more than what they agreed to cover for the price I'm paying? Or would the insurer be perfectly justified to pay for nothing more than they are obligated to?
I won't argue that our commercial health system is the best possible solution. I just question your assertion that it is an immoral business.
I've been fortunate. No one in my family has (yet) had really serious health issues. But I have paid for health insurance since I was in my 20s, and for a very good plan since my first child was born. And we use it every year. We've had injuries. We've had minor surgeries. We get annual checkups and we get treated for common illnesses.
And every time we go to the doctor's office or to the emergency room, I pay the co-payment that we've agreed to and the insurance company pays for what they're supposed to.
"At its core," it seems to me that THAT is a perfectly moral business arrangement. |