What Single-Payer Eliminates
- Bureaucracy
- Tens of millions of people being uninsured and under-insured.
- More than half of personal bankruptcies that are caused by illness or medical debts.
- “One study: half of all bankruptcies, involving 700,000 American households and
affecting more than 2 million people annually, are attributable to illness or medical debt.
- “Another study: 29 million Americans … are in serious medical debt … (with) large medical bills on
their credit cards, (have) second mortgages … or are in a payment plan with their hospital or other provider.”
- Rationing of care, such as pre-existing conditions
- See Rationing of health care for more examples and how rationing will be different with single-payer
- Competitive disadvantage of businesses competing globally with respect to health care.
- Limitations on health care for veterans. Veterans will have more options for care with more convenient access.
- Complexities and inefficiencies. Single-payer is simple and efficient.
- Multiple prices for the same service with the uninsured paying much more.
- High pharmaceutical costs The other industrialized countries pay far less for drugs.
- Involvement of debt collection agencies.
- Financial and emotional stress due to medical debts and concerns about the future.
