Quote:
Originally Posted by rahl
Financially speaking [human bodies] are the same [as houses and cars].
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Maybe from the perspective of the insurance industry. But I don't think this bill is designed specifically to appease the insurance industry. It's designed for the general population.
From the perspective of the government and the general population, human bodies are not the same as houses and cars. Houses have a distinct market value that appreciates and depreciates, while cars have a distinct market value that, in most cases, depreciates. Human bodies, on the other hand, are generators of wealth via labour. A healthy population is an efficient population. If America wants to remain competitive, they need to maintain a healthy workforce. Absenteeism is a huge cost, and I'm sure that there are a number of people who are not in the labour pool for health reasons that could be reintroduced with proper health coverage. And then there's the power of prevention.
Bankruptcies as a result of health issues need to be stemmed, especially considering that credit checks are now a prominent hiring tool.
This isn't just a money issue. It's a labour issue as well. I'll spare you the discussion of class politics. For now.