# Opposition to "free" Covid tests/vaccs as "socialized medicine"?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opposition-to-free-covid-tests-vaccs-as-socialized-medicine/958226>\
**Category:** The Quarantine Zone\
**Tags:** covid-quarantine\
**Created:** [January 22, 2022, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opposition-to-free-covid-tests-vaccs-as-socialized-medicine/958226 "2022-01-22T15:08:38Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\
**Post date:** [January 22, 2022, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opposition-to-free-covid-tests-vaccs-as-socialized-medicine/958226/1 "2022-01-22T15:08:38Z")

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I’ve long been curious about the economics involved in so much ostensibly “free” health care related to Covid. How much are the drug/test makers, insurance companies making off this? Of course, providers of highly profitable elective procedures are taking a huge hit.

For some reason or another it never crossed my mind that the provision of so many vaccines and tests “free of charge” could be viewed as “socialized medicine.” I realize some idiots are opposed to vaccines, but I don’t think I’ve heard much criticism on this basis. Meanwhile, the public’s acceptance of so much healthcare so heavily subsidized and directed by the government might serve as further acknowledgement of the desirability of universal health care.

Thoughts? Has this been well hashed out and I’ve just been oblivious?

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**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\
**Post date:** [January 25, 2022, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opposition-to-free-covid-tests-vaccs-as-socialized-medicine/958226/2 "2022-01-25T20:12:00Z")

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> [@Dinsdale](#):
>
> Thoughts? Has this been well hashed out and I’ve just been oblivious?

I don’t know if it’s been “well hashed out”, but I’ve definitely seen it mentioned. The idea seems to be, if you can’t convince the US that universal healthcare is a good idea in the middle of a pandemic, you’ll never convince them.

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**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\
**Post date:** [May 17, 2022, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opposition-to-free-covid-tests-vaccs-as-socialized-medicine/958226/4 "2022-05-17T13:27:10Z")

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Never mind. Apparently I’m replying to a semi-zombie resurrected by a cornfielded post.