gen Healthcare pdf
by matthew on Fri Jun 19 11:36:38 CDT 2009
I haven’t done a topic post in a while, and admittedly this isn’t local, but…What does everyone think about this “Single Payer” healthcare stuff?
I tend to like the idea. Frankly, I think taking the insurance companies profit motive out of the equation is a very good idea. I’ve said before, right now there is a very active, profit-driven motivated bureaucracy between you and your doctor – a bureaucracy that to gobbles roughly 30% of the money you spend on health care right off the top. If you’re like me, you spend thousands of dollars on health insurance every year (around $5K for the family plan). Assuming my employer is paying a similar amount, that’s quite a chunk of change!
Most of you know my wife’s a Family Practice Doc – She’s a fan of single-payer. She’s seen the German health care system, and she’s convinced – it works well for everyone. The government does not get “between” the patient and the physician. Patients get the treatment they need and deserve – regardless of social status - and Doc’s get paid on time (*ahem*)…
Now before anyone points at the “mess” in Canada – Take a dose of reality: read this
The Canadian system operates with around 1% overhead vs. 30% average in the US…Given my $5K example, $1500 a year is being spent on administration, and $3500 on real health care.   North of the border, that administration would be $50, and $4950 would go to actual care…
Again, assuming my employer is seeing a similar expense as me, there’s quite a potential for savings in increasing international competitiveness by simply making administration of health-care more efficient.   
Seriously…Give me the ability to drop my private employer-sponsored insurance plan, still get in to see a Doc and get whatever stuff I need done when I need it,  and save me $5,000 a year in premiums in the process, and I’ll be happy to pay $3,550 extra a year in taxes. Heck, if enough people do it, my employer may even save enough to afford to give me a raise!
 
The only down side I’m seeing here comes from the glut of insurance-company-related-petty-bureaucrats that will be forced to find productive jobs (yeah it’s a little mean, but there you are)…  


Let the games begin!!!
by Sue on Mon Jun 22 21:18:58 CDT 2009
I agree completely with you regarding single payer.  I really think that is THE best way to go.  But I saw a show on PBS just recently discussing this issue and saying the only way to save much money is to go to single payer but they said it is not even being included in the discussion it is so NOT politiclally possible.  The reason it is not possible politically has nothing to do with the opinions of the general public but rather with the extreme power the insurance lobby has over congress.....;

I'm already hearing claims that governmetn choice will lead to bureaucrats handling our health care but what in the heck do you call who handles it now?  I say BIG business is as much a bureaucracy as government if not MORE of a bureaucracy.   Try to deal wiht them,  any of them....

Sue
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