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Kspacewalk2 13 minutes ago | prev | next [-] fwo economists are walking in a forest when they come across a pile of shit. The first economist says to the other “I’ll pay you $100 to eat that pile of shit.” The second economist takes the $100 and eats the pile of shit. They continue walking until they come across a second pile of shit. The second economist turns to the first and says “Ill pay you $100 to eat that pile of shit.” The first economist takes the $100 and eats a pile of shit. Walking a little more, the first economist looks at the second and says, “You know, I gave you $100 to eat shit, then you gave me back the same $100 to eat shit. I can’t help but feel like we both just ate shit for nothing.” “That’s not true”, responded the second economist. “We increased the GDP by $200!” 16 Sept 2023, 20:45 530 17

  • derpgon@programming.devEnglish
    1·
    1 year ago

    About patients, diseases, injuries, and other medical emergencies. These companies do massive data calculations to make sure they are not in the negative.

    They don’t just eyeball their prices and hope for the best.

    • Flying Squid@lemmy.worldEnglish
      11·
      1 year ago

      Please present these statistics which can accurately predict, for example, a global pandemic which would overwhelm hospitals.

      • derpgon@programming.devEnglish
        1·
        1 year ago

        You are going into unnecessary details.

        If you are so keen on sources, tho.

        The last pandemic was H1N1 (bird flu) in 2009. Before that was 1968 (H3N2). 1 Obviously, this cannot be predicted, which I am sure you know, but just want to troll me on this one.

        The statistics, of course, I do not posses (as I am not a health insurance company nor do I work for one). These statistics are mainly maintained by these insurance companies. But like I said, the prices are calculated based on one’s health and chances of an insured event happening. 2

        1 https://www.cdc.gov/flu/pandemic-resources/basics/past-pandemics.html

        2 https://www.kotaklife.com/insurance-guide/health-insurance/how-is-health-insurance-cost-calculated

        • Flying Squid@lemmy.worldEnglish
          11·
          1 year ago

          If they can’t be predicted ahead of time and the system relies on healthy people, the system will break down when that happens.

          • derpgon@programming.devEnglish
            1·
            1 year ago

            That’s when the country steps in, as was with COVID. I am not sure why why do you keep sticking with the whole “but pandemics are unpredictable” narrative - as if it happened every year or so. They are unpredictable, but still rare enough that the health system doesn’t collapse. Most of the time it’s people breaking bones or having other health problems - like respiratory issues, missing limbs, teeth problems, operations, some kind of organ failure, meds, or doctor visits etc.

            If the system is so fragile as you say, why hasn’t it collapsed by now? And why hasn’t it collapsed during COVID? Nothing is perfect, but it works so far.

            I would understand if you are from the USA or somewhere where universal healthcare doesn’t work.

            • Flying Squid@lemmy.worldEnglish
              11·
              1 year ago

              but still rare enough that the health system doesn’t collapse.

              We haven’t had a pandemic serious enough to test that with the modern healthcare system. There sure was collapse going on during the 1918 flu.