Conflict of Interest Is Killing Us

A Conflict of Interest arises when a party working toward a certain goal has an ancillary goal to satisfy as well and where satisfying both goals is impossible since achieving one goal could preclude the achievement of the other. Life is filled with such conflicts and the choices we make often weigh our priorities so we then deconflict ourselves. Sometimes these conflicts are framed as a dilemma or conundrum. This human foible is legendary and is employed regularly in storytelling which frankly would be pretty boring without it. Where it stops being amusing is when it becomes real and affects lives in profound ways. Because it is Human Nature to not consider all the consequences of our actions, even less so our collective actions, it mostly proceeds unimpeded.

The most pervasive and impactful example of this can be found in our Healthcare System but there are other pervasive examples I will try to touch upon. Healthcare is a perfect place to start because the most stark contrast comes into focus when it becomes your money or your life. The Healthcare business has been optimized as a financial extraction tool which leverages the most essential concern a person can have—their own health or that of a loved one. It’s truly a marvel of business engineering because it brings many players together from the altruistic A+ doctor to the boardrooms of Big Pharma and Insurance and large Hospital…