Member-only story
Has U.S. Healthcare Really Become a Mob Protection Racket?
“That’s a great looking daughter you have there. Be a shame if something happened to her health. Just sign this here financial release form, and we’ll take real good care of her…and your family savings and retirement money.”
Related and recent articles
• The Embarrassing Part about Big Pharma’s Dirty Little Secret
• My Health Insurance Company Asked for Feedback on My Specialist. I Blew My Top.
• Life Expectancy vs. Healthcare Costs in the U.S., Japan, Germany, etc.
• My Top 1% Friend Was Floored by the Cost of His Family’s Health Insurance
• How Can U.S. and Japanese Healthcare Costs Be So Insanely Different?
• A Friend Texted to Ask “Who I Favored” for 2024 but Hated My Answer
(Subscribe to receive email notifications when I post new articles.)
Yes, I know — comparing the vaunted U.S. healthcare system with a mob protection racket sounds like quite a stretch, right?
Indulge me while I provide context and evidence to support that idea.
What does a mob protection racket actually look like?
Let’s start with general criteria for what makes an organization look like a mob protection racket.
#1. Coercive Practices
- Intimidation: Using threats or actual physical harm to persuade a business owner to pay for protection.
- Forced Payments: Demanding regular payments in exchange for “protection” from harm, often under the guise of a legitimate service. In other words, “protection money.”
- Retaliation: Inflicting damage or harm if a business refuses to pay or seeks help from someone.
#2. Monopolistic Control
- Territorial Claims: The racket asserts and maintains control over specific territories in order to restrict and eliminate competition.
