Equestrian Healthcare

Yesterday I happened to run into one of those interminable debates between those who assume that Equestria has a US-style healthcare system in all its hideous eldritch glory (although there's no canonical evidence for it) and those who assume that it must have some sort of European-style socialized healthcare (although there's no canonical evidence for that, either).

Gentlefolk, I should like to introduce an apt historical example as an alternative - the mutual-assistance organizations designed to let people help each other pay for healthcare and assorted other needs, ranging from education to burial, even unemployment. Apt, because of the name of these organizations: the Friendly Societies.

There's no canonical evidence for this, either, but come on: this is Equestria, the friendliest place in the multiverse. Whatever your views on making humans care for each other, I'm pretty sure everypony can and does help each other out at times of need without Princess Celestia having to set up some giant bureaucracy and compel everyone to send it their bits at horn-point. Friendly Societies should work very well indeed in an, um, friendly society.

Pretty sure she prefers it that way, too.

Comments

[FanOfMostEverything]

Seems reasonable. Pretty sure that's how Ponyville covers most of their rebuilding expenses. (Rarity's increasing notoriety means that they've never had to resort to rodeo prizes since the Dodge Junction Incident.)

[Cordial Nova]

4805999

I confess, I also tend to assume that there is a substantial and quiet donation to Ponyville Mutual from the Diarchy's privy purse, made out to bearer Bearers.