There is much confusion regarding what is called single payer, national health care, universal healthcare and so on, with only the UK having a government owned and operated healthcare system, all the rest use a hybrid of non profit private insurance paid for by payroll deductions to the government and passed to the insurance providers. Most individuals in single payer systems also pay out of pocket for supplemental insurance usually employer funded.
Single payer systems enjoy better health related results at less cost mainly due to free preventative care for everyone.
The numbers speak for themselves when we compare “single payer” healthcare systems to the United States system.
On average singly payer systems have:
A life expectancy of 81 to our 79.
Infant mortality of 3 to our 7.
Physicians and nurses per capita about the same.
Per capital expenditure $4000 to our $9000.
Percentage of GNP 10% to our 16%.
Percent of government revenue about the same.
Percent paid by the government 78% to our 45%.
Each individual pays $350 a month to our $600 per month.
One of the most rigorous arguments against single payer is long lines and long waits for care. The lines or waits for these are in none threatening procedures for free, people in most nations in a hurry can get them from private care or supplementals at half the cost they cost here. A private MRI in Canada is $600 while an MRI in the States is $3500.
Make it simple, combine Medicare and Medicaid to cover everyone with a payroll tax of $350 a month which the government will pass to non profit insurance plans, and tweak it as we go. Insurance companies can profit from supplemental plans which are big business in single payer systems.
So what is stopping the Untied States from a single payer system?
First and foremost race rears it’s ugly head with I DON’T WANT TO SUBSIDIZE ANYTHING for people I don’t like.
Secondly, in researching this I found that in most of these single payer nations abortions are included free. A caveat being a free abortion is recorded so many women choose private doctors to keep their privacy.