I've never really understood the concept of "greed". Is it "greed" to want a yacht and helicopter when so many in developed nations struggle to own a home, a nice car and put their kids in good schools? Is it greed to want a house and a car when 100s of millions live in poverty? Is it greed to live at all given the inevitable harms to plants and animals that one will likely cause over their lifetimes? Therefore, the concept of greed seems fundamentally nihilistic to me.
Many people are comfortable with their own level of greed, but uncomfortable with the next "level up" in wealth.
In terms of healthcare, I think what is actually needed is more competition and less corruption.
Greed is not the same as ambition. The difference is in ethical considerations and societal impact.
Wanting a basic quality of life isn't a "level up," it's part of the human condition. It's not inherently greedy to seek a comfortable and secure existence for oneself and one's family. Usually, attaining that also benefits society by compound gains with education and productivity.
An insurance company allegedly defrauding the US [1] and not even reading claims [2] before rejecting them is pretty clearly greedy IMO.
I agree that there should be competition and less corruption, but the focus should be on accessible, high-quality care.
Aye. No problem with hospitals, insurance companies, doctors, or drug companies being greedy as long as they provide value. The problem is that over time the value received by the patient is dropping while the value extracted increases (as does the number of middlemen!). We have gotten to the point where the value proposition is highly questionable. I can drive to Mexico (or fly to the Bahamas) and get cheaper care, often even better care. The only thing that makes it worthwhile to stay in the US system is that one's employer shoulders the burden of insurance payments. In other sectors of the economy we call this vendor lock-in.
Many people are comfortable with their own level of greed, but uncomfortable with the next "level up" in wealth.
In terms of healthcare, I think what is actually needed is more competition and less corruption.