Agricultural Economics Department
Document Type
Article
Date of this Version
2020
Citation
G. D. Lynne, Metaeconomics, Palgrave Advances in Behavioral Economics, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-50601-8_9
Abstract
Next to food policy, perhaps no domestic policy issue has raised the ire of more people than that related to the healthcare system. The US Affordable Care Act, which was based in and otherwise formulated with a heavy orientation towards the shared Other-interest in health, has been rejected outright by many who see the healthcare system is only to facilitate maximizing one’s own Self-interest. The latter perspective is easily understood, as there is perhaps nothing more in one’s own Self-interest then taking care of one’s health. So, it would be easily expected that many people would consider mainly their own Self-interest, selfishly guarding their money to provide that care, and not willing to be selfless about something so essential.
People focused on Self-interest want to personalize their health care, and seek the best doctors and facilities that would help serve their own health goals. It will also mean they probably would not much care to pay for anybody else’s healthcare. So, any move to a universal healthcare kind of policy and program, which recognizes that we are in effect “all in it together,” that is, there is a shared Other-interest at work, will be resisted.
Comments
© The Author 2020