- Joined
- Mar 3, 2018
- Messages
- 16,876
- Reaction score
- 7,397
- Location
- San Diego
- Gender
- Male
- Political Leaning
- Liberal
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Why We Need Publicly Financed Guaranteed Health Care
The FINANCIAL argument: It’s the smart, responsible thing to do.
1) We are wasting money by paying billions of dollars above what is spent on health
care. We pay high costs for unnecessary administrative overhead (for thousands of
private and myriad public programs), corporate profits, high salaries, marketing, and
lobbying.
2) There is a way to control costs and channel more of our money into actual health
care. A single payer system replaces skyrocketing costs to individuals and employers with affordable income and payroll taxes. Expenses are controlled through streamlined
administration, negotiation with service providers, bulk purchase of pharmaceuticals
and supplies, use of evidence-based best practices (eliminating unnecessary tests and
treatments), and needs-based planning for capital expenses. A cost-efficient, all-inclusivesystem saves money now spent on determining eligibility, adjusting individual
contributions, and excluding people from care. It’s cheaper to cover everyone.
3) Individuals benefit financially. Most people will pay less for health care than they
currently pay in premiums, deductibles and other out-of-pocket expenses. No one will
be left uninsured and having to pay unaffordable medical bills when illness and
emergencies strike. No one will go bankrupt because of medical expenses.
4) Taxpayers get more for their money. What do taxpayers get now in exchange for
spending billions on private insurance for public employees? Cuts in public sector jobs
and services. As insurance plans have gotten more expensive, schools have had to cut
teachers, aides, counselors and nurses. High insurance costs have forced similar cuts
in other public agencies, from parks to the DMV. With a single-payer system, we would
be saving on health care expenses and getting more services from every public agency.
5) Employers have more money to invest in their businesses. The employer
contribution to the single-payer system will be less than the cost of private plans for
individual employees. With health benefits no longer tied to jobs, employers are spared
the time and expense of shopping for insurance and bargaining with unions over health benefits. Also, guaranteed health care encourages entrepreneurship and growth of small businesses.
6) A single-payer system strengthens the economy. Businesses will compete better
with countries that have universal health care. With less money spent on health care
benefits, employers can price products more competitively and hire more workers.
Expanded healthcare will require new jobs that cannot be outsourced.
Why We Need Publicly Financed Guaranteed Health Care
The FINANCIAL argument: It’s the smart, responsible thing to do.
1) We are wasting money by paying billions of dollars above what is spent on health
care. We pay high costs for unnecessary administrative overhead (for thousands of
private and myriad public programs), corporate profits, high salaries, marketing, and
lobbying.
2) There is a way to control costs and channel more of our money into actual health
care. A single payer system replaces skyrocketing costs to individuals and employers with affordable income and payroll taxes. Expenses are controlled through streamlined
administration, negotiation with service providers, bulk purchase of pharmaceuticals
and supplies, use of evidence-based best practices (eliminating unnecessary tests and
treatments), and needs-based planning for capital expenses. A cost-efficient, all-inclusivesystem saves money now spent on determining eligibility, adjusting individual
contributions, and excluding people from care. It’s cheaper to cover everyone.
3) Individuals benefit financially. Most people will pay less for health care than they
currently pay in premiums, deductibles and other out-of-pocket expenses. No one will
be left uninsured and having to pay unaffordable medical bills when illness and
emergencies strike. No one will go bankrupt because of medical expenses.
4) Taxpayers get more for their money. What do taxpayers get now in exchange for
spending billions on private insurance for public employees? Cuts in public sector jobs
and services. As insurance plans have gotten more expensive, schools have had to cut
teachers, aides, counselors and nurses. High insurance costs have forced similar cuts
in other public agencies, from parks to the DMV. With a single-payer system, we would
be saving on health care expenses and getting more services from every public agency.
5) Employers have more money to invest in their businesses. The employer
contribution to the single-payer system will be less than the cost of private plans for
individual employees. With health benefits no longer tied to jobs, employers are spared
the time and expense of shopping for insurance and bargaining with unions over health benefits. Also, guaranteed health care encourages entrepreneurship and growth of small businesses.
6) A single-payer system strengthens the economy. Businesses will compete better
with countries that have universal health care. With less money spent on health care
benefits, employers can price products more competitively and hire more workers.
Expanded healthcare will require new jobs that cannot be outsourced.