Newsletter

One way that the deep state and bureaucracy keep everybody off balance is to come up with all sorts of ideas that sound so good.  All of these ideas are presented as doing good for the people and ultimately leading to a better life.  Just don’t dig too deep into the proposal.  You might not like the details.

Today we will discuss this great progressive idea: MEDICARE FOR ALL – A SINGLE PAYER HEALTH SYSTEM FOR THE NATION.

Most Democrats running for office support the idea.  A new Reuters poll indicates that 70% of Americans respond favorably to the statement.

Have you ever heard of Bait and Switch?  The Medicare program that is being pushed does not look like the Medicare we currently have.

A single payer system will remove private health coverage from half of all Americans. That includes the 157 Million who get their insurance from their job.

The Democrats are “forgetting” to tell voters that private insurance will be banned with a single payer program.  Employers will be barred from covering workers and their families.

Union members and executives who have private plans will lose them and will have the same one-size-fits-all public coverage as all other people.  That means the same coverage as people who don’t work and undoubtedly also illegal immigrants. 

The biggest losers in a Medicare For All program will be senior citizens. When medical resources have to be rationed people over 65 are the losers.  A prime example is the United Kingdom’s single-payer system where people over 65 are turned away for hip replacements and breast reconstruction.  They are basically told they don’t have that long to live and will not benefit from costly medical procedures.

Senator Bernie Sanders, our most famous Socialist, has introduced legislation legalizing Medicare for All.  Under this program Americans will be automatically enrolled in the public program.  Children would be enrolled at birth.

This legislation guarantees hospital care, doctor’s visits, even dental, vision and long-term care all provided by good old Uncle Sam.  However, this is true only until the money runs out.  Senator Sander’s bill imposes hard and fast dollar caps on how much health care the country can pay for on a yearly basis.  This translates into limitation for procedures such as mammograms and hip replacements.

New regional health authorities would be created to curb “over utilization” of care. The United Kingdom health care system skimps on care.  Many British citizens are very upset with the system.  At least, the British can purchase private insurance and leave the government system for health care.  Senator Sanders’ bill does not allow that.  You would be stuck in the government system.

Many people think that Medicare is efficient and saves money.  Not true.  Medicare pays only about 88 cents for every dollar of care which means that hospitals and doctors are losing money.  Providers take the payments because most people on Medicare have supplemental insurance and so providers can shift costs.

Medicare for All does not allow for cost-shifting. 

So how do you deal with this in a Medicare for All program?  The quality of care is lowered which means creating longer waits and limiting access to technology.

Advocates of single-payer know that the program will mean less services.  Stanford economist Victor Fuchs makes the case for single-payer being affordable in the Journal of the American Medical Association because limiting the use of mammograms, drugs and diagnostic technologies definitely saves money.  However, low-tech medicine can be a death sentence.

The United Kingdom’s rock-bottom survival rates for breast, lung, ovarian and pancreatic cancer are the result of limiting services because of less money. 

It is time for Congress to straighten out the medical insurance system in this country. Keep what works.  Reform what needs to be reformed such as Obamacare requirements for doctors that are causing many to leave the field. 

Medicare for all is a utopian idea that is not going to work.  We don’t have the money to provide a top notch program managed by the government.  Of course, a cynic might not even place much faith in a program managed by the government.

One last thought:  Would Congress be part of a Medicare for All system?

Information gathered from  Betsy McCaughey