General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: K&R if you intend to keep fighting for single payer regardless what the SCOTUS rules. [View all]ProgressiveATL
(50 posts)Roughly one out of two people access health insurance through employer. In 2000, it was two out of three people. Huge drop, and that trend continues. Much of the slack is and will continue to be picked up by government-funded programs, and that need will continue to grow. At some point it, this unworkable system will collapse and a national pooling of risk (medicare-for-all) will be the only workable solution. Because of rising insurance costs, that might well happen within a decade or two.
40 million were without health insurance when all the new plan talk started a few years ago. I've read estimates it's up to about 80 million now, folks without any or with far too little health insurance.
And by 2033, health insurance premiums will surpass household income: http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=155840
And as recently as 1989, conservatives were for a "socialist" single-payer solution too:
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/03/27/why-the-right-turned-its-back-on-the-individual-mandate.html
There is an implicit contract between households in society, based on the notion that health insurance is not like other forms of insurance protection. If a young man wrecks his Porsche and does not have the foresight to obtain insurance, we may commiserate but society feels no obligation to repair his car. Healthcare is different. If a man is struck down by a heart attack in the street, Americans will care for him whether or not he has insurance. If we find that he has spent his money on other things rather than insurance, we may be angry but we will not deny him services even if that means more prudent citizens end up paying the tab
A mandate on individuals recognizes this implicit contract.
Two-thirds of Americans support Medicare-for-all: http://pnhp.org/blog/2009/12/09/two-thirds-support-3/
"The more people know about single-payer, the more likely they are to support it. We see this pattern when we compare the jury results with poll results, and we see it when we compare polls that show high levels of support for single-payer with those that dont."
It's time for a single-payer variant.