Coming soon, may be best opportunity to have Congress take a wholehearted attempt to transition we the people to a good and reactive to all, healthcare system. It is called Single Payer (Medicare for All) and Bernie Sanders was championing it last year. Obama too, has stated in 2009 and again this year, that Single-Payer is what We the People want and need. Why is this important?? Because good health and quality healthcare is a RIGHT of we all the people, not a privilege to the few.
Now, by Congress I do not imply current Congress. Why?? Because it is very safe to say the GOP Congress will NEVER, EVER, go thereto!! Medicare for All or Single Payer System (they mean the same thing), goes against the very grain of GOP core values, especially for the farthest right conservatives and their representatives (like the Freedom Caucus within GOP Congress – who used to be the Tea Party). Why would these organizations be so opposed to a Single-Payer system of healthcare legislation??
Single-payer terminates the profitable healthcare insurance industry en-mass, replacing with an expanded Federal government aspect. This “aspect” is already in place but currently only working with those over 65 years of age, not we all the people. But they could and should. The expanded Medicare would become the sole source for every American to negotiate healthcare coverage just as does Medicare for the elderly now. It would also be sole regulator of the entire profitable healthcare industry but right now Medicare regulate that same industry for all our seniors.
But is this a bad situation?? If we ask any senior if they like Medicare, we immediately discover the cure to our collective healthcare dilemma for all. Of course every senior loves Medicare because Medicare takes care of we the people. Medicare mandates affordability and regulates (safeguards) our seniors, from hospital bills which are ridiculously high. Affordable healthcare for reasonable prices.
That is why we need to go to Single-Payer or Medicare for All as a whole nation.
However, let us also not forget that such a move by Congress will be the most lobbied against event, ever seen. The healthcare insurance industry is very powerful but, so are we all the people when we get riled up and act. That is key, we all the people need to loudly let our elected representatives know what we want; we must let them know.
Just for comparison the items presented by the 3-phase GOP plan like removing State lines or selective healthcare covered benefits:
Eliminating State lines may reduce upfront costs to we all the people but it is worth understanding why the State line rule exists. It is in place because as the GOP wants, States define minimum health benefits for their constituents and – NOT ALL STATES MANDATE THE SAME QUALITY OF CARE!! If State line insurance is removed, then everyone will go to the insurance company (usually the same on as in your State but), in the State with the lowest benefits requirement. They will get healthcare insurance in that State and therefore, the benefits will be what that State mandates.
In other words the benefits also wind down to the lowest common denominator (least benefits) – for everyone in the USA who uses that!! Never mind that your state mandates a much higher level of minimum requirements; if you shop another State with lower premiums, you get the benefits that come with that other State’s plan, not your State’s more comprehensive requirements.
Another GOP sound-bite is selectivity. Removing pregnancy coverage for an older age couple means that they will not be paying for pregnancy costs of the young; however, the much greater and more expensive PLETHORA of geriatric services and benefits will be removed for the young. This leaves seniors and middle aged Americans to pay the costs of these benefits and Viola!! WE are back to 2007 again.
THAT IS THE GOP MAGIC – ROLL BACK TO 2007!!
Selectivity is not the balanced cost approach or the goal, of single-payer, nor of what we all the people want for healthcare. Single payer has each American getting the same balanced healthcare that they need, when it is needed and the premiums are determined simply – by income.
So the point being made is that the GOP for-profit health plan is a kraps shoot for the middle and lower class of we all the people and that is about 90% of us. The ACA did not do a whole lot better for most because it was an attempt to somehow blend the profitable insurance industry into a focus for quality, affordable, healthcare for we all the people – NOT.
So why go to Single Payer over current ACA. The answer is 1. that we are not paying for the required and most important profits of these healthcare insurance companies. 2. We are not paying the salaries of high-end executives and shareholders in these companies. 3. Choices made by these profiteering insurance companies is based on, PROFIT. Medicare focus will be QUALITY, AFFORDABLE, healthcare for every single person who becomes we all the people. 4. VERY IMPORTANT!! The healthcare insurance industry no more can say “NO” to the hospital’s 4x higher than should be final bill, than any of us can.
Well, guess what Medicare can do that and they do it now. I know a case where a patient had to get a pacemaker. The final bill from hospital to patient was $87,000.00. This bill was given to Medicare and Medicare went to the hospital and said “sorry, the bill should be $20,000.00”. If you or I said that, we would get laughed right to the arena of ruined credit and loose everything. Not with Medicare around. They told the hospital $20K and the hospital said – OKAY!!
Guess what –> only Medicare has the power (of Fed Gov) and no other reason or motive, that they can reasonably regulate the profitable healthcare industry, period!!
And here is the magic that Bernie Sanders put so eloquently. We may likely pay more taxes in order to have single payer but – NO MORE PROFITABLE HEALTHCARE INSURANCE MONTHLY PREMIUM OR HIGH DEDUCTIBLES!! So if you pay $6,000.00 more in taxes but save $ 12,000.00 to $18,000.00 in monthly premiums, not even getting into the high deductibles – VIOLA!! We all the people are home.
As anyone who uses Medicare will tell, the quality is very good because we are still receiving healthcare through the normal profitable healthcare industry. But now their runaway profiteering bills – are regulated by the Fed, by Medicare.
The bottom line is as long as profitable healthcare insurance is our middleman and health insurance companies not big enough to say no, no, no to the for profit healthcare industry itself, when costs are too high – there will be no good plan. We the people will continue to rag and complain about inferior benefits and too expensive healthcare premiums and deductibles. So let’s yell at our legislators and tell them we want quality, affordable healthcare for every last one of we all the people. HOW ABOUT THAT??
Last is the matter of one Donald Trump, POTUS. The only way for Trump to get on board a single-payer legislative bill will be after 2018. If the DEMs retake majority in both the U.S. House and U.S. Senate and if they can find the way to pass single-payer legislation, getting around the filibuster. If things were to get that far and a single-payer healthcare bill lands on POTUS Trump’s desk, then yes, I think he might sign – a single-payer bill.
Afterall, Trump is not so much about politics. He is about being popular, in demand.