Where is our health care?

[HM2VikingRN, RN]

a very compelling argument for single-payer from alternet:

the cost of corporate bureaucracy

where is the money going? an estimated 15 cents of each private u.s. health care dollar goes simply to shuffling the paperwork. the administrative costs for our patched-together system of hmo's, insurance companies, pharmaceutical manufacturers, hospitals, and government programs are nearly double those for single-payer canada. it's not because americans are inherently less efficient than canadians -- our publicly funded medicare system spends under five cents per budget dollar on administrative overhead. and the veterans administration, which functions like britain's socialized medical system, spends less per patient but consistently outranks private providers in patient satisfaction and quality of care.

but in the private sector, profits and excessive ceo pay are added to the paperwork and bureaucracy. the u.s. pharmaceutical industry averages a 17 percent profit margin, against three percent for all other businesses. in the health care industry, million-dollar ceo pay packages are the rule, with some executives pulling down more than $30 million a year in salary and amassing billion-dollar stock option packages.

do those costs really make the difference?

studies conducted by the general accounting office, the congressional budget office, and various states have concluded that a universal, single-payer health care system would cover everyone -- including the millions currently without insurance -- and still save billions.

[hodgeMN]

I love the articles you post - keep em coming. I find it ironic that people who oppose health care for all often use the British or Canadian system as an example of why we should NOT due to rationing etc.......What most people fail to realize is that we do ration health care in this country. Ever hear of an HMO or health insurance company denying a claim or needed procedure......

[pickledpepperRN]

Canada's health care lauded by one who knows

Canada's health care lauded by one who knows | www.azstarnet.com ®

[pickledpepperRN]

Two recent articles:

Silent majority for single-payer

IN SEPTEMBER, an ABC News/Kaiser Family Foundation/USA Today survey found that 56 percent of Americans preferred a government-run universal health system "like Medicare" to our current employment-based system run by private insurers. That is, they want a single-payer system. Among the causes of rising costs, respondents were most likely to name private insurance and drug company profits.

Silent majority for single-payer - The Boston Globe

Health Care Problem? Check the American Psyche

WHAT is the most pressing problem facing the economy? A good case can be made for the developing health care crisis. Soaring costs, growing ranks of uninsured and a steady erosion of corporate health benefits add up to a giant drag on the nation's future prosperity.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/31/business/yourmoney/31view.html?ref=yourmoney

[pickledpepperRN]

The slippery slope of market-based medicine

By Rose Ann DeMoro -

Published 12:00 am PST Saturday, December 30, 2006

… If your head is spinning from reading all the various ideas being thrown around, here's a CliffsNotes version. Essentially, all the choices can be distilled into two general areas -- patient-based reform with public accountability, or market-based approaches…

Rose DeMoro: The slippery slope of market-based medicine - sacbee.com