SINGLE-PAYER HEALTH CARE LIES
By D. S. Mitchell
Drop The Labels
Honest health care policy experts know that the solution to fix the American health care system is staring us in the face, and it is single-payer. Whether dubbed “Medicare-for-All” or an “expansion of Medicaid” through ObamaCare. The solution is easy when labels like “socialism” “liberalism” “progressivism” are ignored. Trump and his DOJ is in court at this very moment trying to invalidate the ACA (ObamaCare). It seems that the more resistance Republicans arouse over destroying ObamaCare the voices for Medicare-for-All grows louder.
Health Care As A Right
The evidence is clear, Americans believe that every person has a right to health care, irrespective of their ability to pay. We as a people, believe that we have an obligation to take care of each other. In fact, there is more momentum for the adoption of a single-payer health care system than at any time in our history.
Scuttle Safety Net
Despite its enormous popularity and unparalleled record of success Republicans are neck-deep in their war against the nation’s health care safety net, whether it is Medicare, Medicaid or the ACA. New Republican proposals have emerged since the 2016 election that would slash benefits for the elderly and leave older Americans at the mercy of the “for profit” insurance industry.
Voucher Plans
When Paul Ryan was Speaker of the House he was extremely vocal in his attacks against both Medicaid and Medicare. He supported a voucher program that would transfer more costs on to seniors and leave them at the mercy of the private insurance industry. Just because Ryan is gone, doesn’t mean that the Republicans have jettisoned that philosophy. The actions to undermine Medicare and Medicaid are ongoing and must be stopped. It is not just about protecting our existing Medicare system, it is about ensuring that every citizen has access to excellent health care as a right. In such a system it definitely works best when “everybody is in, and nobody is out.”
An American Tragedy
It is estimated one hundred Americans die everyday from the lack of health insurance. That is over 30,000 unnecessary deaths each year and that number is scheduled to grow steadily over the next decade. This is an American tragedy.
Republican Tax Scam
With the Republican tax scam now signed into law we will see millions remain uncovered and millions more lose coverage due to increased cost for insurance coverage brought on by the elimination of the ACA insurance “mandate”. The insurance mandate was a device used by the ACA plan to expand the pool of healthy people in the system to keep prices down.
Cost Control
Former editor in chief of the New England Journal of Medicine, Dr. Marcia Angell believes Medicare-for-All is the best health care reform, and it is the only health care reform that will cover everyone and control costs. That is why the majority of doctors, nurses and hospitals support a Medicare-for-All type system.
Competition
What about CIGNA, Wellpoint, United and Humana? Their dominate place in American health care would disappear. They as companies will likely survive, because many Americans will demand a choice of private and public coverage. The Medicare or Medicaid systems that serves the elderly and poor so well now, could be expanded to cover all Americans.
Plenty Of Business To Go Around
Currently, insurance companies compete with government programs with such programs as Medicare Advantage. Such policies must be, by law,” at least as good as that provided by the government policy,” I suspect there is plenty of business for those that are competitive.
From Birth To Grave
How would such changes save money? Up front we as a country would save at least half a trillion dollars in administrative costs, waste and profits. That sizable savings would be used to cover everyone. At birth, everyone would get a health insurance card. This card would give you access to any doctor or hospital in the United States. Free, unfettered choice of doctor and hospital. This is unlike our current practice of allowing health insurance companies to tell us which doctors and hospitals we can see.
Before It Becomes Critical
As it stands, if you don’t have health insurance–or if you have insurance with sizable co-pays and deductibles–you’re likely to stay away from a doctor or hospital until the condition becomes critical, and then most likely you will end up in your local ER.
Cutting Prices
Obvious positives: Experts believe a Medicare-for-All system would cut drug prices by more than 40%. A Medicare-for-All system would emphasize prevention. “An ounce of single-payer prevention is worth a pound of high-tech cure.” A Medicare-for-All system would be a powerful voice against alcohol, tobacco, junk food and sugary beverages. Furthermore, a single-payer system would store treatment results in a single database, doctors would have access to more complete research data, thereby making it easier to detect the dangers of certain drugs and environmental and workplace exposures.
People Are Dying
Our inadequate health care system leaves millions out in the cold. Until every American has medical insurance the body count will continue to rise. Remember at least 100 Americans die daily directly related to their inability to pay for health care. Tens of millions of people face crushing medical bills, even people with insurance are often forced to choose between medicine and basic necessities like food and shelter. This is WRONG. For your information, Medical bills are the number one cause of personal bankruptcies in the United States.
Escalating Costs
Health insurance costs are going to continue to escalate wildly out of control as long as there is continued pressure against the system by government. Insurance premiums are doubling every 3-5 years, and insurers are continually pushing for patient increases in the share of cost, most definitely through higher deductibles and co-payments, they demand from their customers.
Sharks vs Goldfish
Bernie Sanders has it right. There can be no compromise with the health insurance industry. Putting the sharks in charge of the goldfish makes no sense. If Mitch McConnell, Senate Majority Leader, has his way that will be the result. Sick and vulnerable seniors will be at the mercy of insurance companies.
Keeping Them In The Game
The ACA tried to keep the insurance companies in the game, however it has become clear to most of us who are following this issue closely that the insurance industry will give less at more cost. The Republican voucher program in place of Medicare-for-All would be a disaster.
An Army Of Lobbyists
Remember every day 100 Americans die from lack of health insurance. Every day hundreds go bankrupt from medical bills. Both a national tragedy and a national disgrace. We must support sensible policy and sensible policy is Medicare-for-All or a vastly expanded ACA with a public option. There’s an army of lobbyists representing health care and drug industry interests visiting legislators everyday. Their central mission is to block Medicare-for-All or a form of single-payer health care system.
6 Lies and Myths About Single-Payer Health Care
Public Citizen is a citizen action group working on many public policy issues, one of them being Medicare-for-All. In a recent mailer Public Citizen responded to 6 “Myths and Lies” about a single-payer system. I would like to share their responses to the most frequent arguments.
1.) Argument: Single-payer is government-run health care.
WRONG.
Government run health care is the Veterans Administration. Or the British system where the government pays for the doctors and hospitals.
Under Single-payer you get a health care card and you can go to any doctor or hospital in the U.S.
Doctors are not employees of the government. Hospitals stay in private hands. You get free choice of doctor and hospital.
2.) Argument: Single-payer will lead to rationing, like in Canada.
WRONG.
Right now in the United States, the private health insurance companies ration care.
If you don’t have health insurance, you don’t get health care. More than 30 million Americans now lack health insurance.
That’s why 100 Americans die every day from lack of health care.
There are some problems in the Canadian system, but most of what you hear about long lines is health insurance industry propaganda.
Zero, let me repeat that, zero people die every day in Canada due to lack of health insurance.
3.) Argument: Costs will skyrocket under single-payer.
WRONG.
Single-payer is the only health care reform that will save enough money to make sure everyone has coverage.
By eliminating the health insurance industry, the country will save $500 billion a year or more in administrative costs and profits.
That money is then used to ensure those who lack insurance and fully cover those who are under-insured.
Yes, more people will be seeking health care because they will now have insurance. But they will be taking care of medical problems early, thus preventing more costly treatment later.
4.) Argument: Drugs will be more difficult to get under single-payer.
WRONG.
The drug industry would have you believe that there will be less research and development under a single-payer system.
In fact, most medical and pharmaceutical research is funded by the National Institutes of Health.
Under single-payer, research is likely to grow.
Also, drugs will be cheaper under single-payer.
When all patients are under one system, the payer wields a lot of clout.
For example, the VA gets a 40% discount on drugs because of its buying power.
This single-payer buying power is the main reason other countries’ drug prices are lower than those in this country. (*Now you know why the drug industry is so opposed to a potential single-payer system.)
5.) Argument: Single-payer will cover less than the insurance I have now.
WRONG.
For the majority of Americans, single-payer will be a vast improvement.
All medically necessary care would be funded through the single-payer, including doctor visits, hospital care, prescriptions, mental health services, nursing home care, rehab, and home care. Hopefully if written correctly the government single-payer will expand to cover eye care and dental care.
An enlightened single-payer will also result in a sharp increase in public health funding to prevent disease.
No more surprise bills, deductibles, or co-pays.
6.) Argument: Single-payer will cost me more than I’m paying now for private health insurance.
WRONG.
The majority of Americans will pay about the same or less than they are paying now.
Instead of paying premiums to a private insurance company, most of us will pay a similar or smaller amount in taxes.
So, now, if you are paying $8,000 in premiums for a family of four with a $4,ooo deductible, your yearly liability can be estimated to be in the $10,000 range.
It is most likely that you will pay less than that in taxes to fund a universal single-payer.
There will be no deductibles or co-pays.
And, you can go to see any doctor or check into any hospital in the United States.
Public Citizen
Thanks again Public Citizen for answering a lot of the common questions people have about single-payer. Public Citizen is fighting for single-payer every day. Put them on your donation list.
(**In my perfect world the health care insurance card would also a national voter ID. A guarantee to get access to voting nationwide. Just my idea to stop the calls of fraudulent voters and the ongoing suppression of the vote.**)
