Luigi Nicholas Mangione, the alleged killer of the CEO of UnitedHealtcare is being lauded by some as a hero, a modern-day Robin Hood, exacting justice on the rich who have trampled on the poor.
According to Fox 5 New York, crowdfunding campaigns have been created to raise money for Mangione’s legal defense. Comments from donors mirror a “growing sentiment” among some Americans:
- “One individual contributed $1,300, commenting: ‘Coincidentally the same amount I was charged for my 100-percent covered medical procedure.’”
- “Another donor wrote, ‘For my mother – a victim of the insurance industry – Mr. Mangione, thank you for your sacrifice. May others follow in your footsteps of bravery and justice.’”
The Associated Press also reported that at the time of his arrest, Mangione was found to be carrying a handwritten document that expressed frustration with what he referred to as “parasitic” health insurance companies, as well as his contempt for corporate greed and power.
Beyond Mangione’s unjust taking of another man’s life, what else is happening here? It is true that health care costs are rising, and some people struggle to pay their medical bills. But what is the root cause of this societal suffering?
I submit that, once again, the perniciousness of man-made law is central. I will briefly explain why the problem here – as with some many other problems – stems from our foolish decision as a people to cast God’s Law behind our backs, and instead embrace man’s law.
I do not have health insurance. I believe insurance is permissible under biblical law, but not required. If I thought UnitedHealthcare, for example, provided a good service at a rate I was willing to pay, then I would likely purchase an insurance plan from them. Obviously, they do not offer something I am willing to pay for, hence I am “uninsured” (by them or any other health care company). This does not mean I am unprepared or unwilling to pay for my family’s medical expenses. It simply means that I choose not to purchase health insurance. Biblical law does not require me to do so.
Civil magistrates (the people who make up what we refer to today as “the government”) do not exist to provide healthcare or insurance to the people. Civil magistrates exist to punish evildoers and praise (not provide subsidies) those who do good (cf. 1 Peter 2:14). Whatever we want to say about the challenges of getting medical care, the solution is not for the civil magistrates (“the government”) to provide it.
But how does man-made law come into play? I submit that the primary reason health care is so expensive is because of man-made law.
This is really a simple economics lesson. Man-made law, created over the years at both the state and federal level, dictates how, when, and even how many, physicians, practices, and other health care providers can enter the “health market.” It establishes regulations and requirements for the “common good.” Man-made law also prevents physicians from offering certain treatments that could aid in a patient’s recovery.
As a “consumer” of health care, my choices are severely curtailed because man-made law has created innumerable barriers to entry for health-care providers looking to enter the market. Especially as someone prone to consider alternative treatments, my choices are scant. There are men and women who would love to provide these services, but the force of man-made law (either in the form of preemptive regulations or after-the-fact penalties) prevents them from entering the market.
Furthermore, the inability for new physicians/providers to enter the market means the current physicians/providers are not motivated to lower their costs to compete with newcomers. The costs of health care remain high because of the creation and enforcement of man-made law.
Do we desire the freedom to make our own health choices, and the freedom of our neighbors to provide those choices to us? Then we must reject man-made law in all its insidious forms.
Here is a summary: Our society rejects God’s Law as the standard for justice. Man’s law is set up in its place. Man’s law inevitably hinders prosperity because it hinders man’s purpose (i.e., dominion). People then get upset because they are suffering. However, ignorant of the Bible, they are unaware that their suffering is primarily a result of establishing man-made law as the standard of justice in society. So, the people kick, scream, and kill.
And then, they ask for more man-made law to solve the problem.
Indeed, the “people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” (Hosea 4:6). We have forgotten the Law of God, and God has “forgotten” us and given us over to the folly of faith in man-made law.
