Single Payer Universal Health Care; A Critical Issue
Health care is one of the top issues in this presidential election year. Americans outside the beltway are determined that their demands for single payer universal health care be given an equal hearing along side Obama and Clinton's well meaning but flawed half measures and McCain's terrible plan to kill even employer based health coverage.
Knowing they face an uphill battle on the national level, single payer advocates are turning simultaneously to states urging them to take the lead on this issue.
A Physicians for National Health Care Program (PNHP) press release tells the story in New York State.
"Single payer universal health care advocates rallied today at the State Capitol in support of action at both the national and state level.
"Representatives of unions, nurses, doctors, seniors, consumer and faith groups urged the state legislature to pass a resolution urging Congress to pass known as Medicare for All. As. Felix Ortiz sponsors the Assembly resolution. HR 676,HR 676 has 90 cosponsors, including NY Congressional representatives Engel, Hinchey, Maloney, McNulty, Nader, Owens, Rangel, Serrano, Towns, Weiner and Velazquez.
"The groups are also urging the state to adopt a single payer system as soon as possible. Single payer legislation (A7354 Gottfried / S3107 Schneiderman) is pending in both the Assembly and Senate. A majority of Assembly members (85) are co-sponsors of the single payer bill.
"The State Legislature last year appropriated funds for the state to study how it could most cost-effectively provide health care to all New Yorkers. The legislature required that one of the systems to be studied be a single payer system. Most doctors now support a single payer system as to most health care advocacy groups. Advocates are concerned however that the organization hired by the state to do the studies, Urban Institute, has repeatedly spoken out against single payer health care.
"The groups are particularly critical of the role of private health insurance in the American health care system. As much as a third of every health care dollar going through private health insurance goes to pay for their overhead, profits, marketing costs and excessive CEO salaries. Doctors on average have to hire 2.5 staff people just to deal with the conflicting paperwork, rules and bureaucracy of private health insurance. No other industrial country allows private health insurance to play a dominant role in the health care system. The groups oppose mandates for consumers to purchase private health insurance such as the Massachusetts plan.
“ 'New York nurses pick up the pieces of our broken healthcare system every day. We see uninsured New Yorkers who rely on the emergency room as their main source of health care, as well as those who delay necessary treatment until they are so sick they must be hospitalized. The sad truth is that today’s (sic) for-profit, private healthcare insurers have failed, and a universal, single-payer healthcare system is the only true solution.' said Deborah Elliott, MBA, RN, Deputy Executive Officer of the NYS Nurses Association.
"A recent national survey shows a solid majority of doctors, almost 60 percent, supporting government legislation to establish national health insurance (NHI) — a 10 percent increase in support since 2002.
"Matt Funiciello, owner of Rock Hill Bakehouse in Moreau, NY said, 'Access to health care is a necessity, not a luxury and we, as a country, are failing miserably at providing an affordable option for the American worker who simply cannot afford to pay the exorbitant amounts charged by the HMO’s. We are already spending $7100 per person on health care (twice what other industrialized nations pay), yet we somehow manage to leave more than 40 million people without coverage and another 70 million “underinsured”. Its time for us all to do the math. We ALREADY pay out far more than enough in premiums and subsidies and taxes to fully fund adequate coverage for every American right now! It is simply being denied to us by the powers that be and the corporate interests that get them re-elected.'
“ 'As I travel across the state I hear that people don’t want to lose what they have that they want CHOICE, however, the choice they want is not a choice of many different insurance plans which is what they are being offered but the freedom to choose WHO will deliver their health CARE or WHAT facility best fits their particular need . A Single payer plan which allows access to any doctor or facility will provide us with MORE CHOICE than we currently have and WE will be making the decision not the insurance co,' added Rebecca Elgie of the Tompkins Co. Health Care Task Force.
“ 'The US spends more than twice as much on health care as the average of other developed nations, all of which boast universal coverage. Yet close to 50 million Americans have no health insurance whatsoever, and most others are underinsured, in the sense that they lack adequate coverage for all contingencies (e.g., long-term care and prescription drug costs). Why is the U. S. so different? The short answer is that we alone treat health care as a commodity distributed according to the ability to pay, rather than as a social service to be distributed according to medical need,' said Mark Dunlea, Executive Director of Hunger Action Network of NYS.
"While the United States has very skilled health providers, our health care system performs poorly, with its overall quality only ranked 37th by the World Health Organization. US spending on health care is now over 2.1 trillion dollars — nearly $7,000 per person. This is more the double the world average of $2,571. This amounts to a whopping 15.5% of our GNP on health care — far more than any other country — which puts our businesses at a competitive disadvantage in the international marketplace.
“ 'A prime benefit of a national single payer system is that it would save several hundred billion dollars annually by eliminating the high overhead and profits of the private, investor-owned insurance industry and reducing spending for marketing and other satellite services. Doctors and hospitals would be freed from the burdens and expenses of paperwork created by having to deal with multiple insurers with different rules - often rules designed to avoid payment,' added Dunlea.
"A recent study of a single payer system for California showed that it would save $38 billion annually. The legislature passed a single payer system but Governor Schwarzenegger vetoed it.
"Public opinion polls have consistently shown strong public support for a universal health care system. For instance, a March 2007 poll by CBS/ NY Times found that 64 percent of the respondents said the government should guarantee health insurance for all; 27 percent said it should not."
The situation in the United States is so critical, that an LA Times article reported on people marrying on the basis of health care coverage.
"Some people marry for love, some for companionship, and others for status or money. Now comes another reason to get hitched: health insurance.
"In a poll released today, 7% of Americans said they or someone in their household decided to marry in the last year so they could get healthcare benefits via their spouse.
" 'It's a small number but a powerful result, because it shows how paying for healthcare is reflected not only in family budgets but in life decisions,' said Drew E. Altman, president of the Kaiser Family Foundation, which commissioned the survey as part of its regular polling on healthcare.
"On a broader scale, the survey found that healthcare costs outranked housing costs, rising food prices and credit card bills as a source of concern. Twenty-eight percent of those surveyed said they had experienced serious problems because of the cost of healthcare, compared with 29% who had problems getting a good job or a raise."
The time for change to single-payer universal health care is now. This country needs to join the other industrialized nations where everyone is covered by government administered single-payer health care that finances "health care expenditures for the entire population through a single source, the government, with funds collected through progressive taxation of citizens and businesses."
Health care is a right, not the commodity that it currently is in the United States.
Knowing they face an uphill battle on the national level, single payer advocates are turning simultaneously to states urging them to take the lead on this issue.
A Physicians for National Health Care Program (PNHP) press release tells the story in New York State.
"Single payer universal health care advocates rallied today at the State Capitol in support of action at both the national and state level.
"Representatives of unions, nurses, doctors, seniors, consumer and faith groups urged the state legislature to pass a resolution urging Congress to pass known as Medicare for All. As. Felix Ortiz sponsors the Assembly resolution. HR 676,HR 676 has 90 cosponsors, including NY Congressional representatives Engel, Hinchey, Maloney, McNulty, Nader, Owens, Rangel, Serrano, Towns, Weiner and Velazquez.
"The groups are also urging the state to adopt a single payer system as soon as possible. Single payer legislation (A7354 Gottfried / S3107 Schneiderman) is pending in both the Assembly and Senate. A majority of Assembly members (85) are co-sponsors of the single payer bill.
"The State Legislature last year appropriated funds for the state to study how it could most cost-effectively provide health care to all New Yorkers. The legislature required that one of the systems to be studied be a single payer system. Most doctors now support a single payer system as to most health care advocacy groups. Advocates are concerned however that the organization hired by the state to do the studies, Urban Institute, has repeatedly spoken out against single payer health care.
"The groups are particularly critical of the role of private health insurance in the American health care system. As much as a third of every health care dollar going through private health insurance goes to pay for their overhead, profits, marketing costs and excessive CEO salaries. Doctors on average have to hire 2.5 staff people just to deal with the conflicting paperwork, rules and bureaucracy of private health insurance. No other industrial country allows private health insurance to play a dominant role in the health care system. The groups oppose mandates for consumers to purchase private health insurance such as the Massachusetts plan.
“ 'New York nurses pick up the pieces of our broken healthcare system every day. We see uninsured New Yorkers who rely on the emergency room as their main source of health care, as well as those who delay necessary treatment until they are so sick they must be hospitalized. The sad truth is that today’s (sic) for-profit, private healthcare insurers have failed, and a universal, single-payer healthcare system is the only true solution.' said Deborah Elliott, MBA, RN, Deputy Executive Officer of the NYS Nurses Association.
"A recent national survey shows a solid majority of doctors, almost 60 percent, supporting government legislation to establish national health insurance (NHI) — a 10 percent increase in support since 2002.
"Matt Funiciello, owner of Rock Hill Bakehouse in Moreau, NY said, 'Access to health care is a necessity, not a luxury and we, as a country, are failing miserably at providing an affordable option for the American worker who simply cannot afford to pay the exorbitant amounts charged by the HMO’s. We are already spending $7100 per person on health care (twice what other industrialized nations pay), yet we somehow manage to leave more than 40 million people without coverage and another 70 million “underinsured”. Its time for us all to do the math. We ALREADY pay out far more than enough in premiums and subsidies and taxes to fully fund adequate coverage for every American right now! It is simply being denied to us by the powers that be and the corporate interests that get them re-elected.'
“ 'As I travel across the state I hear that people don’t want to lose what they have that they want CHOICE, however, the choice they want is not a choice of many different insurance plans which is what they are being offered but the freedom to choose WHO will deliver their health CARE or WHAT facility best fits their particular need . A Single payer plan which allows access to any doctor or facility will provide us with MORE CHOICE than we currently have and WE will be making the decision not the insurance co,' added Rebecca Elgie of the Tompkins Co. Health Care Task Force.
“ 'The US spends more than twice as much on health care as the average of other developed nations, all of which boast universal coverage. Yet close to 50 million Americans have no health insurance whatsoever, and most others are underinsured, in the sense that they lack adequate coverage for all contingencies (e.g., long-term care and prescription drug costs). Why is the U. S. so different? The short answer is that we alone treat health care as a commodity distributed according to the ability to pay, rather than as a social service to be distributed according to medical need,' said Mark Dunlea, Executive Director of Hunger Action Network of NYS.
"While the United States has very skilled health providers, our health care system performs poorly, with its overall quality only ranked 37th by the World Health Organization. US spending on health care is now over 2.1 trillion dollars — nearly $7,000 per person. This is more the double the world average of $2,571. This amounts to a whopping 15.5% of our GNP on health care — far more than any other country — which puts our businesses at a competitive disadvantage in the international marketplace.
“ 'A prime benefit of a national single payer system is that it would save several hundred billion dollars annually by eliminating the high overhead and profits of the private, investor-owned insurance industry and reducing spending for marketing and other satellite services. Doctors and hospitals would be freed from the burdens and expenses of paperwork created by having to deal with multiple insurers with different rules - often rules designed to avoid payment,' added Dunlea.
"A recent study of a single payer system for California showed that it would save $38 billion annually. The legislature passed a single payer system but Governor Schwarzenegger vetoed it.
"Public opinion polls have consistently shown strong public support for a universal health care system. For instance, a March 2007 poll by CBS/ NY Times found that 64 percent of the respondents said the government should guarantee health insurance for all; 27 percent said it should not."
The situation in the United States is so critical, that an LA Times article reported on people marrying on the basis of health care coverage.
"Some people marry for love, some for companionship, and others for status or money. Now comes another reason to get hitched: health insurance.
"In a poll released today, 7% of Americans said they or someone in their household decided to marry in the last year so they could get healthcare benefits via their spouse.
" 'It's a small number but a powerful result, because it shows how paying for healthcare is reflected not only in family budgets but in life decisions,' said Drew E. Altman, president of the Kaiser Family Foundation, which commissioned the survey as part of its regular polling on healthcare.
"On a broader scale, the survey found that healthcare costs outranked housing costs, rising food prices and credit card bills as a source of concern. Twenty-eight percent of those surveyed said they had experienced serious problems because of the cost of healthcare, compared with 29% who had problems getting a good job or a raise."
The time for change to single-payer universal health care is now. This country needs to join the other industrialized nations where everyone is covered by government administered single-payer health care that finances "health care expenditures for the entire population through a single source, the government, with funds collected through progressive taxation of citizens and businesses."
Health care is a right, not the commodity that it currently is in the United States.
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