What problems could we solve in America, that could actually save money by solving the problem, but we still don't solve them

[LSLGuy]

@DrDeth

@Velocity

Charging even a very modest amount for tuition, textbooks, room and board, etc. tends to have a big psychological effect on minds. Even just $250 a semester feels drastically different to the consumer/economics/payer mind than $0.

Well, most CA community colleges charge a modest Student body fee, and then there’s textbooks, which AFAIK, arent even free in the nations with “free” colleges.

@Velocity

This is why, for instance, in some nations that offer single-payer universal healthcare, by analogy, they’ll still charge a small fee that does almost nothing to defray the actual cost of the healthcare provided, such as $10 or $20.

Yes, many nations with UHC still have a modest co-pay.

@Velocity’s phrase “deterrence against frivolous use” is perfect. Short, punchy, and exactly accurate.

See here for a post, and an entire thread, on exactly this topic.

What's the point of trivial insurance co-pays?

I used to own a laundromat back in the 1970s. When we bought it, the driers were equipped with timers but not coin mechanisms; IOW the dry was free, a common come-on in those days. These driers were the big laundromat type with the round glass door which can easily dry 2 or 3 washer-loads at once. Some other laundromats charged for dries, a dime being the common price. Coin mechanisms were $200/ea, so the time to payback on a retrofit was long, considering the dime also had to pay for mainte…