[ExI] UBI and Health Care

[Ben Zaiboc]

Here's an idea that recent posts have sparked in my sometimes 
over-imaginative brain:

What about directing the massive profits that are expected from the 
massive increase in productivity that's expected from the massive 
improvement in AI and robotics, into health care? (actual medical 
treatments, not health insurance), with the slogan "everybody is 
entitled to health care" turned into actual fact?

Remove the whole 'insurance' idea from medicine altogether, just go 
straight to funding the hospitals, clinics and GPs, and anybody who 
needs to go to one gets treated, no questions asked. This would have the 
added advantage of greatly increasing the number of health facilities 
and workers.

Instead of UBI it would be UHC. The most fortunate people wouldn't 
benefit from it (because they aren't sick), the least fortunate would 
benefit the most. Everybody would benefit eventually, of course, because 
everybody (currently) gets old, therefore sick in one way or another. 
Over time, and with advances in medicine, it would transition into 
Universal Life Extension in a quite natural way. And maybe even 
(reaching a long way here, I know) Universal Uploading Opportunities.

This doesn't address the problem of people losing jobs, I know, but 
that's something that will have to be solved in any case, UBI or no UBI. 
One thing that occurs to me re. that: Just because AI /can/ do your job, 
doesn't mean it /has/ to. Maybe some type of 'job protectionism' could 
be made to work.

Similar ideas: Fund the transport systems, stop charging people for 
transport. Ditto housing (ok, there are a lot of problems there, but 
might be worth thinking over). Ditto with education (imo, education 
should be free anyway)

-- 
Ben
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