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In reply to the discussion: Which Countries Have Single-Payer Health Systems? [View all]ehrnst
(32,640 posts)45. Again - this is from 2011.
And the points that he makes about how people seem to think that "single payer" is common, and that the "medicare for all" proposals proposed in 2016 covered far more than medicare covers are well within context.
As far as countries that have true single-payer systems, Anderson lists only two: Canada and Taiwan.
Are Single-Payer Plans Less Expensive Than Other Health Coverage Systems?
Not necessarily. True, eliminating the profits and duplicative administrative costs associated with hundreds of different private insurance plans would reduce spending, perhaps as much as 10 percent of the nation's $3 trillion annual health care bill, says Anderson. But, he notes, once those savings are achieved, there wouldn't be further reductions afterward.
More important, as many analysts have noted, is how much health services cost and how those prices are determined. In most other developed countries, even those with private insurance, writes Princeton health economist Uwe Reinhardt, prices "either are set by government or negotiated between associations of insurers and providers of care on a regional, state or national basis." By contrast, in the U.S., "the payment side of the health care market in the private sector is fragmented, weakening the bargaining power of individual insurers."
Would Medicare For All Be Just Like The Existing Medicare Program?
No, at least not as Sanders envisions it. Medicare is not nearly as generous as many people think. Between premiums (for doctor and drug coverage), cost-sharing (deductibles and coinsurance), and items Medicare does not cover at all (most dental, hearing and eye care), the average Medicare beneficiary still devotes an estimated 14 percent of all household spending to health care.
Sanders' plan would be far more generous, including dental, vision, hearing, mental health and long-term care, all without copays or deductibles (which has given rise to a lively debate about how to pay for it and whether middle-class families will save money or pay more).
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And I would like every house in the country to be fitted with Solar Panels or wind turbines.
ehrnst
Oct 2016
#13
"Because, in most other countries they have a single purchaser, which is a very tough negotiator"
kristopher
Oct 2016
#48
"Because, in most other countries they have a single purchaser, which is a very tough negotiator"
kristopher
Oct 2016
#57
That's from five years ago. The OP article discusses "Medicare for All" proposals in this election
ehrnst
Oct 2016
#31
The point of your article is the same as it always is, to misrepresent the idea and role of SP.
kristopher
Oct 2016
#33
The posters you are arguing with are arguing for exactly what Anderson endorses.
kristopher
Oct 2016
#46
"Because, in most other countries they have a single purchaser, which is a very tough negotiator"
kristopher
Oct 2016
#56
There is not a shred of evicence that our private insurance system contributes one iota
BlueStreak
Oct 2016
#25
You have to be aware of terms: single payer is not necessarily universal health coverage
mnhtnbb
Oct 2016
#4
Not everybody here "knows" And are you accusing me of lying or the NPR reporter?(nt)
ehrnst
Oct 2016
#7
You can make up your own definition for any word. But that doesn't change the reality of it.
ehrnst
Oct 2016
#12
"Because, in most other countries they have a single purchaser, which is a very tough negotiator"
kristopher
Oct 2016
#49
I guess that means you're done copying and pasting the same thing that doesn't address my post?
ehrnst
Oct 2016
#52
we need accessible, nonprofit, universal health care at little or no direct cost to patients....
mike_c
Oct 2016
#14
Tempting to simply declare that there is one simple answer to a complicated issue
ehrnst
Oct 2016
#63
Actually no. According to the OP Canada is the only country with true Single Payer
ehrnst
Oct 2016
#50
Words mean things. Specific things. If you want to discuss them, you should know what they mean.
ehrnst
Oct 2016
#60