A good explanation of the logic of single payer
This video is making the rounds at the speed of light on the left side of the aisle as a convincing and common sense argument for single payer. It is important to recognize that single payer does not mean doctors would be directly employed by the government or hospitals owned by the government. It would mean that everyone would be paid by the government, which does suggest that government will control how much everyone is paid. It is often described as “Medicare for everyone.” Fly in the ointment: Doctors and hospitals lose money given what Medicare is willing to pay (and they don’t negotiate group rates like other insurers, they just tell doctors and hospitals what they’ll pay). A single payer plan (currently an option only in HR 676 which no one thinks has a chance) would have to, unlike Medicare, pay a reasonable market rate to allow doctors and hospitals to stay in business. (No doctors is distinctly horrible for health care.)
Add comment August 29th, 2009
