Esteemed commenter ryepower12 explains the obvious benefits of “Medicare for all” or single-payer health care, the system used by the rest of the developed world which produces better results at a fraction of the price, in a few concise paragraphs. Outdated ideology and ignorance are the primary reasons we continue to suffer under our benighted system of medical care payments.
The answer is simple
Just like medicare, money will come from a tax or fee — whatever you want to call it — but it will be considerably less for most than whatever we’re already paying to health insurance companies.
Is this really some big mystery?
BTW: The $2 billion figure for Vermont may sound big and scary and some nice anti-single payer propaganda… but that amounts to a little less than $3.2k per person, in a state that otherwise has the 5th highest premiums in the country.
The least expensive plan in the Affordable Care Act’s health exchange for Vermont costs $4k a year. The medium-level “Silver” plan costs $4750 a year.
So strip away the “Big Gov’ment” scaremongering and single payer is a huge cost savings.
Who cares if we’re paying our “premiums” to a government program instead of health insurance companies?
I think the average taxpayer would be happy to pay less and get as much or more than the alternative any day of the week once it goes into effect and people see the scaremongering isn’t true.
This is why single payer systems are overwhelmingly popular across the world — including in countries where conservative governments have long been in charge.
Later on he elaborates:
correction: everyone pays for government insurance every pay check
We just don’t get to enjoy it until our mid 60s.
Changing that dynamic so we get a Medicare for All right off the bat can only make the program more popular, not less.
I have no doubt a transition would have a couple hiccups, but at the end of the day people will be glad to have a stress free system that costs significantly less, but equals or exceeds the level of care most have now.
We can do that if we want to – we need only to act boldly and be willing to follow the lead of the rest of the world, which has demonstrated time and time again that single payer costs less and delivers more – for all.