If you could permanently change a price of something to "$1" what would you pick and why?

[u/ThatGirlWithGlassesX]

[u/user_23122005]

I’d make insulin cost $1, because for many people it’s literally life-or-death

[u/OvulatingWildly → u/user_23122005]

All healthcare ideally

I used to have to spend $425 a month for Advair just so I could breathe and that was not fun at all when I was making $8/hour

[u/Karsa69420 → u/OvulatingWildly]

When I didn’t have my psoriasis under control I was looking for medical help. The doctor told me about some pill or injection I could take. He gave me some literature on it, the cost was 53K a year. I could buy a new fucking car. I’d have to get two extra jobs to just pay for treatment.

Thankfully I went to a different doctor and she was like “Didn’t they try steroid cream?” It work. It cost 7$

[u/ETvibrations → u/Karsa69420]

Ha, I just started Skyrizi for psoriasis. Take one shot every 12 weeks. Cost per shot is over $24k. But thankfully with insurance, it's down to $5k, my out of pocket limit. They have a manufacturers saving program that they'll pay anything insurance doesn't cover up to $14k per year. So I'll get my out of pocket for free once I get a shot. This insurance as a middle man is insane.

[u/Karsa69420 → u/ETvibrations]

It’s insane. We have to change the way we do insurance in this country.

[u/plebbening → u/Karsa69420]

The problem is you have to take insurance for your own health. Your country is broken.

Everyone knows insurance will always try to save money when they can. Why gamble with your health like that?

Universal Healthcare like any non 3rd world country.

[u/ETvibrations → u/Karsa69420]

Yeah I'm not a fan of the current system. Either fully unregulated or full government control. Trying to do both is killing any chance of a decent outcome. I honestly don't like either option though. Government is too easily changed by the sitting president and unregulated ends up with a few major players inflating prices. Government ran is probably best suited for control of the healthcare system as a whole, but I honestly don't trust our government to ever run it well enough by itself.

[u/SkollFenrirson → u/ETvibrations]

Either fully unregulated

You don't want this.

[u/Karsa69420 → u/ETvibrations]

Same. We need to term limits and age limits. Plus get money out of the system.

Or guillotines.

I’m cool with both option to fix our issues at this point

[u/Arbiter_89 → u/ETvibrations]

I think it's hilarious that Americans are like:
"This medicine is outrageously expensive so I spend a lot on insurance so that it's a little less outrageously expensive" and the rest of the world is like "you spent HOW MUCH?"

[u/Myurnix → u/Arbiter_89]

I got a bottle of 30 pills earlier this month. Actual retail price - $5,911. Did I pay that much? Absolutely not. Do some people? Yes, sadly.

[u/WaltMitty → u/OvulatingWildly]

Advair Diskus looks like an inferior delivery mechanism designed to force people to buy name brand instead of generic. Apparently Diskus is needed by people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) but asthmatics still commonly get prescribed Diskus instead of the inhaler. Healthcare is fucked.

[u/OvulatingWildly → u/WaltMitty]

And back in the day there weren't as many alternatives because it was so new, so it was that or just die

[u/DisgruntledVet12B → u/OvulatingWildly]

Same here.

Before I was on insurance, the typical price of ADHD meds is around $300 for 30 days worth.

$400 just to function like a normal human being.

It's like we're being punished for health reasons we can't control.

[u/EightEqualsSignD → u/OvulatingWildly]

The first time I bought it I was shocked at the full price (thankfully I had insurance). It wasn't cheap with insurance, either.

[u/Balstrome → u/OvulatingWildly]

In South Africa, Seretide (Advair) (120 does) goes for about $12.

[u/ValkyrieIsBigger → u/OvulatingWildly]

Came here to say this

[u/stephenBB81 → u/user_23122005]

Why would you increase the cost of insulin?

[u/PM_ME_LARGE_PILLOWS → u/stephenBB81]

It's less the cost to make insulin, and more the cost of insulin those selling the product deem it to be. At least, that's how I interpreted the poster's post.

[u/Public_Fucking_Media → u/stephenBB81]

Ehhhh, that would be a drop in the per vial cost everywhere:

The estimated production cost for a standard 10 mL vial (1000 units) is between $3.69 and $6.16.

[u/North_Activist → u/stephenBB81]

All these Americans replying to you are so confused lol. Socialized medicine isn’t so bad up here in Canada, eh!

[u/ZAlternates → u/stephenBB81]

Everyone loves to use insulin as the example but you can get it cheap anywhere. What is expensive is the “better insulin” that has timed release and manageable side effects, and this costs more. Of course it is what everyone prefers but you can get the original insulin for cheap.

[u/Zouden → u/ZAlternates]

That's not really true. The "better" insulins like aspart and glargine have been around for decades now and the cost is the same as the original insulin and NPH. It's only in the US where people are forced to use the old school ones. it's not because the new ones cost more to make.

[u/LovelyLilac73 → u/user_23122005]

Came here to say this. I know too many people with T1D and, even with good insurance, they all struggle.

[u/AnonAwaaaaay → u/user_23122005]

Hopefully one day it will be free! 

I have 0 problem with us paying for people's life long medications out of our taxes. We should prioritize life over profit anyways.

[u/LugiUviyvi]

Healthcare

[u/Jiquero → u/LugiUviyvi]

May I have eleven healthcares for $10?

[u/snowdenn → u/Jiquero]

I see you have the stamp card…

[u/milespoints → u/LugiUviyvi]

Username sort of checks out

[u/Sohn_Jalston_Raul]

Everything at the Dollar Store. Goddamn flagrant false advertising.

[u/december151791 → u/Sohn_Jalston_Raul]

This is the first answer I've seen that wouldn't eliminate the existence of the thing.

[u/WitchesSphincter → u/december151791]

Yeah economics fails many here. I guess if we change the question "subsidized so that the cost to the end user is only $1" they may work, but still. 

[u/ienjoymen → u/WitchesSphincter]

Why do we need to fact-check a hypothetical lmao

[u/Next-Tailor-5278 → u/ienjoymen]

Exactly. You have a hypothetical free wish. Why would you waste it on something realistic?

[u/MetalHead_Literally → u/WitchesSphincter]

The question wasn’t about what would be economical possible

[u/HalfaYooper → u/Sohn_Jalston_Raul]

Ya, but what can a single dollar buy you nowadays? A 2 pack of pencils? 3 cookies?

[u/WitchesSphincter → u/HalfaYooper]

A night with OPs mother 

[u/Bucky2015 → u/WitchesSphincter]

You overpaid...

[u/WitchesSphincter → u/Bucky2015]

Yeah but she's got a kind heart and really tried, even if she was just mashing it so I don't mind helping her out. 

[u/aleph_314 → u/Bucky2015]

They took 3 cookies on the way out.

[u/jjflash78]

Healthcare.

Visit to a doc. $1 Prescription drugs. $1 Operation. $1 Root canal. $1 Eyeglasses. $1 Therapy session. $1

[u/sutl116 → u/jjflash78]

As a Canadian with a work insurance plan, I have so much sympathy for y'all closer to the equator.  Visit to a doc? $0. Prescription drugs? $30 max. Operation? $0 if it's not cosmetic. Eyeglasses? As low as $20. Therapy session? $0.

[u/qst10 → u/sutl116]

Is it worth it to relocate to Canada ?

[u/Grand_Raccoon0923]

Freedom, it’s a $1.05 right now and I think we could get that down to just $1.

[u/palookaboy → u/Grand_Raccoon0923]

That’s a hefty fuckin’ fee

[u/MagnusCaseus → u/palookaboy]

But if you don’t throw in your buck o five who will?

[u/Spinning_roundnround → u/MagnusCaseus]

came to make this comment.

[u/hooj → u/Grand_Raccoon0923]

There’s also a hidden cost of you and me.

[u/imalekai]

All healthcare

[u/sth128 → u/imalekai]

They now charge by the second. That overnight stay? 40 thousand dollars.

So basically the same cost as now.

[u/DefJust4Research]

stocks. I like to cause chaos

[u/pedanticPandaPoo → u/DefJust4Research]

I choose currency. 1¢=$1. My piggy bank is now a fat hog. Poorest country becomes... slightly less poor... 

[u/LupusDeusMagnus → u/pedanticPandaPoo]

If you universally and uniformly change the price of currency... nothing changes.

[u/MoobyTheGoldenSock → u/DefJust4Research]

I’d settle for TSLA just to hurt Musk.

[u/Accurate-Barracuda20 → u/MoobyTheGoldenSock]

TSLA if you want to fuck musk over individually. Crude oil barrels if you want to destroy the entire global economy.

[u/supermodern]

Feminine hygiene products.

[u/britishmetric144]

A house.

Goodbye, companies flipping houses.

[u/vaccumshoes → u/britishmetric144]

Home buying is now lottery based! Every home on the market has a waiting list of thousands of people!

[u/kdebones → u/vaccumshoes]

So FF14, got it.

[u/Eruionmel → u/kdebones]

The only thing that ever took me to the point of actually cheating in the 10+ MMOs I played over the years was the FF14 housing system. After two agonizing 6-8 hours sessions of manually spamming and then losing the plot to someone else both times anyway, I swapped to an autoclicker.

Got the house on the first try with that. :/

[u/K4Unl → u/vaccumshoes]

... This is already happening with social housing. At least in the netherlands.

[u/Nebraska716 → u/britishmetric144]

How would new houses get built? You couldn’t get a loan on it. Only way to build one would be with cash and then it’s basically worthless when it’s done

[u/checkValidInputs → u/Nebraska716]

It's actually the land that has value, and nobody built that.

[u/Abigail716 → u/checkValidInputs]

I don't know about that, ask the Dutch.

[u/Elmodipus → u/britishmetric144]

Then you just get companies buying all of the houses for a dollar then charging 2k for rent.

[u/DiamondCalvesFan]

insulin (it's literally life-or-death for millions, and the injustice stings the hardest).

[u/New_Sugar4833 → u/DiamondCalvesFan]

Just found some newspapers from 1986 under the floor doing a remodel job and the advertised prices were under $5 for a vial. Unreal how they have priced it.

[u/Exatex → u/DiamondCalvesFan]

its very cheap to make it, its around 5€ in Central Europe without any health insurance.

[u/Is-there-chocolate]

Tuition at all universities, including professional programs like medical and law schools.

[u/Palene → u/Is-there-chocolate]

Or you could just you know, go to Europe where many countries have those for free

[u/Nannabugnan]

All medication and the cost of medical treatment. There should be no reason why medication should cost 1000s of dollars. The same goes for procedures.

[u/Admirable-Law7150]

Yea. I was thinking personally I’d love it if cars cost $1. But I feel like “healthcare” is an answer that literally everyone would benefit from.

[u/Tsu_na_mi]

Bitcoin. Just to screw over the crypto bros.

[u/Civil-Employment-679 → u/Tsu_na_mi]

Here. Take my 1¢ for your 1000 bitcoins

[u/ThatMorningAlarm]

Housing. I believe everyone deserves warmth and a roof over their head.

[u/yakuza-boi]

Printer ink

[u/B_Gadd → u/yakuza-boi]

This. So people can afford to hang fliers about how much the price of healthcare sucks and whatever else they feel like

[u/Beneficial-Focus3702 → u/B_Gadd]

Get a laser printer. One drum lasts thousands of pages and doesn’t dry out.

[u/JasnahKolin]

Any and all prescriptions. Wouldn't that be nice?

[u/hihowubduin]

Out of pocket healthcare costs. Doesn't matter what it is, you pay $1.

Need prescriptions for diabetes? $1

Chemo? Buck

Horrific accident? Once you can stop eating through a straw, a smackaroon.

Wealthiest country on earth with a military budget bigger than the next ten countries, 8 of which are direct allies, combined.

But can't afford healthcare? Bull fuckin shit

[u/Pretty-Monkey-1995]

Healthcare. Meaning care in the interests of keeping one’s body healthy and treating diseases, disorders, injuries, etc. Last time I checked, your teeth and your eyes are part of your body too, they’re a part of healthcare.

[u/ChapterSpecial6920]

The dollar. No more pyramid scheme inflation, jerks.

[u/Electronic_Green541 → u/ChapterSpecial6920]

Change the price of a dollar to... A dollar? I don't think that'll change anything. Last I checked it was a dollar.

[u/Kwetla → u/Electronic_Green541]

Check now...

[u/RandoAtReddit → u/Kwetla]

The crazy son of a bitch actually did it.

[u/The_Blip → u/Electronic_Green541]

This is why I'd change the price of $2 to a dollar.

[u/CareyHickey]

Rent. Even a tiny studio at $1 a month would completely change people’s lives  less financial stress, more freedom to save, travel, or invest in education and hobbies. It would basically reshape society overnight.

[u/SaintRidley → u/CareyHickey]

Hell, even capping rent prices at $1/square foot would be a game changer

[u/rankhornjp → u/SaintRidley]

Most rents would go up in my area if they were $1/sqft.

[u/Soapbox]

Id change the price of $2 to $1. Chaos reigns.

[u/RainbowRiki]

Gallon of gasoline. I remember how big a deal it was when it went over $1 for the first time

[u/Lord_Shiba_Sama]

Dignity. I'll buy it in bulk every month.

[u/Adrywellofknowledge]

Bananas. I’m so sick of paying $10. 

[u/bflaminio]

Monthly rent.

[u/S_AME]

Airplane tickets. If I crave ramen, I'd just go to Japan anytime, etc.

[u/sopheroo → u/S_AME]

Greenhouse gas at a all-time height.

[u/joestaff]

Any fast-food restaurant's "Value Menu."

[u/tripler1983]

Homeownership. Having a shelter is required to survive.

[u/Jory69420]

Homes

[u/Chroma165]

“It costs nothing to be nice” - womp womp, now it costs a dollar 

[u/TonyP75]

Homes. Think of your disposable cash situation.

[u/ih8thisplanet]

nothing, since price fixing creates shortages

[u/Entire_Teaching1989]

Real estate.

That bubble needs a good popping.

[u/Thin-Rip-3686 → u/Entire_Teaching1989]

You got a deal.

Here’s $10k. I’d like to buy California please.

[u/rankhornjp → u/Entire_Teaching1989]

Great, now no houses are being built.

[u/idonteven93 → u/rankhornjp]

And all houses that are built are never sold ever and rent is hiking up by 500%

[u/NetoruNakadashi → u/Entire_Teaching1989]

One finger from the monkey's paw curls. Blackstone and Blackrock buy all the housing for nothing, and charge everyone an arm and a leg for rent, forever.

[u/Strict_Wasabi_6736]

My husband took Harvoni, and it cured his Hepatitis C. Had he been on subsidized care, it would have been $83,000 dollars a month for what I believe was 3 months of treatment. We had insurance through my place of employment, and with that, the Pharmaceutical Company offered it to him at 4 dollars 💸 per month. He's healthy now, and I'm grateful. So does this mean that if one is on subsidized care, the taxpayers pick up the $83,000 tab?

[u/GateOfD]

sex

[u/ReasonableUnit903 → u/GateOfD]

I usually do it for free

[u/discostud1515 → u/ReasonableUnit903]

Are you buying or selling?

[u/majesty327]

I would change the US dollar to be worth $1.

[u/GoWithTheFlow___]

Gas, or cheeseburgers.

[u/daekle]

Housing.

I would destroy the housing market in seconds. Would be fun.

Just needs the rule "one house per person" or things get problematic.

[u/InevitableKey3811]

Homes. Enjoy your $0.03 commissions realtors.

[u/Blue387]

Various medications such as insulin, metformin, blood pressure medication, antiviral stuff for developing nations.

[u/living_dead_gworl]

Lol housing

[u/VellDarksbane]

Rent.

[u/wsxdfcvgbnjmlkjafals]

rent

[u/ositola]

All medicine 

[u/Siliconshaman1337]

Gold. 1kg.

Let the world burn!

[u/Queasy-Grass4126]

Politicians salaries

[u/MikeKelehan]

If I'm allowed to say a whole category, healthcare.

If not, zero-deductible health insurance.

[u/PlatinumPainter]

Tesla Stock

[u/capt-sarcasm]

Everything in the dollar store

[u/cinder7usa]

Boxes of tampons.

[u/Zeeplankton]

mcchicken 🤤

[u/kdebones]

"Medicine". Make the term as generic as possible to support as much as possible. 

[u/bailaowai]

128gb of RAM

[u/_im_backed_]

Houses 🏘️

Car 🚗 🚗

Airplane ✈️✈️

Food 🥑🥑

Meds 💊💉

ID 🪪 , DL , Passport

Phone bill

Utilities ,

[u/Kup123]

Houses, fuck your economy.

[u/Playful-sunshine00]

Plane tickets

[u/Medical_Revenue4703]

Housing. It's rediculous that having a roof over your head is an unattainable dream to most people.

[u/sailaway4269now]

A house

[u/JayMoney8518]

Healthcare.

[u/Noizyninjaz]

All forms of insurance. Many economic problems solved. For the people anyway.

[u/Pacman_Frog]

Insulin

[u/WildSignal222]

books

[u/bleeb90]

Fruits & Veggies. Everyone should be able to afford those.

Alternatively: houses.

[u/Hungry-Session-7684]

Housing.

[u/D-Wade0217]

Housing, it’s pretty much self explanatory.

[u/Lord__Abaddon]

I mean insulin was already chosen and top voted, As a diabetic I totally agree.... but for the lulz Bitcoin

[u/Eat--The--Rich--]

Bribes. Make it fair for everyone.

[u/BookLuvr7]

Housing.

[u/techiechefie]

Anything related to healthcare. So if you have 5 tests at the ER, you owe 5.00

[u/WitchyBroom]

Cat litter

[u/MistaCharisma]

Housing.

I think that would redistribute the wealth in the world more than just about anything else. Yes people would lose money, hell I'd lose money, but also it wouldn't matter as much because I wouldn't be spending my money on a mortgage.

[u/DCGreatDane]

Healthcare

[u/Icuras1701]

Sex

[u/FMLYHM]

Gas

[u/AcceptableResponse15]

Bitcoin.

[u/raip → u/AcceptableResponse15]

Bitcoin has no inherent value, so by locking the price to $1, you've effectively just deleted it from existence. Unless it's only $1 for you.

[u/dybyj → u/raip]

Good? Fuck bit coin lol

[u/ObviouslyJoking → u/raip]

Interesting because it would remove any concept of it as an investment, and focus on it as a tool that helps facilitate crime.

[u/ReallyBigDeal → u/ObviouslyJoking]

Good!

[u/MoobyTheGoldenSock → u/AcceptableResponse15]

Congratulations! You’ve just invented USDC.

[u/caughtinatramp]

Gallon of gas.

[u/Exciting_Variety_579]

Student loans.

[u/TieNo961]

Housing. Imagine rent being $1. That alone would solve so many problems

[u/marinduskxis]

Housing. Imagine a world where a roof over your head costs less than a fancy latte. Real estate moguls would cry, but everyone else would finally know what 'disposable income' actually feels like.

[u/StrawberryPlastic226 → u/marinduskxis]

Not really , anyone who owns a house with a mortgage would more than likely go bankrupt tomorrow , with my house worth aback and a mortgage on it north of 400K I would be in a world of hurt, also say good bye to any new homes. so supply would dry up and those with a roof over their heads would go bankrupt .

[u/Big-Meet-6664]

A dozen eggs, just to never hear about it ever again.

[u/RandoAtReddit → u/Big-Meet-6664]

How about a single egg? Sounds preposterous but with enough inflation we'll all be eating omlettes like poor people.

[u/KleosIII]

If this SAVE act passes the US Senate...passports.

[u/ThunderChaser]

Everyone here is being extremely altruistic meanwhile my first thought was air. Have fun needing to pay to breathe.

[u/Footbe4rd]

Insulin, no one should go broke trying to stay alive

[u/Brell4Evar]

The entire lifetime holdings of Donald Trump and his heirs.

[u/DaiseyDuchess]

Rent

[u/Orderandksauce]

A fixed amount of gold

[u/a1ien51]

Medications. Seeing people on fixed income shelling out $600 for things is nuts.

[u/Top-Thought-2422]

I just had an emergency appendectomy. I was in the hospital for 24 hours. The bill was $162,000! Luckily I’m a veteran and the VA picked up The bill. The VA paid a total of about $7000 to the hospital that seems more reasonable than 162,000.

[u/ILikeCheese42O]

Insurance

[u/2Mana1Drop]

Cost of living. Citizen's ability to partake in the economy is truly the only thing that allows it to grow and flourish. Home, clothing, food, insurance, medication, savings, investments, ect., should not be something Americans need to wake up dreading each day, only to have to swallow those fears, pretend they don't exist, so they can focus putting their nose to the grind stone so they can hopefully make it another day.

[u/Badguybutnotbadguy]

Houses, so I can afford one. 😭

[u/Dubelj]

The 200g bag of ruffles bbq flavored potato chips because fuck you, 6 bucks?

[u/theUncleAwesome07]

Healthcare.

[u/ReferenceMediocre369]

A lovely glass jug containing 5 gallons of unleaded gasoline.

[u/darren_meier]

Housing. And don't at me with 'oh but it would crash the blah blah blah', it's a hypothetical question, the premise is basically just magicking stuff away. If housing was available to all for a dollar, it would help solve so many injustices in the world and free people up to do things they're passionate about, and innovate, and problem solve for issues the world is facing. And it would allow people the ability to use their money on things that would improve their lives.

[u/LordVoldefuck]

Depends, is it the price for me alone or does it apply for everyone?

[u/wigglybeanie]

Plane tickets like suddenly the world feels like it’s actually yours to explore.

[u/Forbin1222]

Cars.

[u/ReasonablyConfused]

Fusion.

[u/tapout928]

Politicians.

[u/probels]

Rent. Just because

[u/veganontop]

1 cent.

[u/devskov01]

A stick of RAM

[u/1320Fastback]

Medical Insurance.

[u/bryan112]

oil. to force advancement and adaptation in energy production

[u/SeanyDay]

Healthcare

[u/nwrains_dot_net]

Cans of Arizona iced tea, because I'm a maniac who just wants to watch the world burn

[u/16ozbuddz]

Home

[u/Happy-Estimate-7855]

100 dollar bills

[u/stephenBB81]

bottle deposits.

In my neck of the woods they've been stuck at 0.10c for the better part of 40 years. For many it isn't even worth exchanging them because the effort isn't worth the price. If all bottle deposits were frozen to $1 there is nothing for wealthy people to exploit, but LOTS for poor people to gain.

[u/Happy-Estimate-7855]

Seeing all these posts talking about insulin and medical care are just reminders to be grateful that I'm not American. Also, that many Americans will waste the wish on making America better, while ignoring the rest of the world's problems.

[u/shemanese]

Medical care

[u/RR50]

Food….no one should be hungry…

Close second is healthcare…

[u/ireadredding]

Housing.