Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
International Experts Tell Senators That Single-Payer Improves National Health at Less Cost
http://www.truth-out.org/buzzflash/commentary/international-experts-tell-senators-that-single-payer-improves-national-health-at-less-costAccording to the advocacy organization Public Citizen, a number of experts from single-payer nations recently testified at a Senate sub-committee hearing chaired by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), a leading supporter of Medicare for all. The spokespersons from Canada and Denmark offered compelling reasons why the US should move from a private-insurance system to a government administered program (such as, well, Medicare):
In short, as has been argued before, private health insurance (which we still obviously have under the ACA) increases the cost of medical care, with nearly a third of that cost eaten up by private insurance non-health related revenue. To repeat the testimony cited above: 31 percent of US health insurance costs goes to insurers, while in Canada only 1.3 percent of medical costs are administrative.
For example, the Canadian witness, Dr. Danielle Martin, vice president of medical affairs and health system solutions at Womens College Hospital, compared access to care, quality of care and costs in the U.S. and Canadian systems, and found all were superior in Canada. Martin compared the American average for administrative costs of 31 percent to the 1.3 percent administrative costs paid by Canada (not counting costs for private supplemental plans available to Canadians.) Professor Jakob Kjellberg from the Danish Institute for Local and Regional Government Research, who served as the Danish expert witness, said his countrys administrative costs are only 4.3 percent of total health care spending.
In short, as has been argued before, private health insurance (which we still obviously have under the ACA) increases the cost of medical care, with nearly a third of that cost eaten up by private insurance non-health related revenue. To repeat the testimony cited above: 31 percent of US health insurance costs goes to insurers, while in Canada only 1.3 percent of medical costs are administrative.
InfoView thread info, including edit history
TrashPut this thread in your Trash Can (My DU » Trash Can)
BookmarkAdd this thread to your Bookmarks (My DU » Bookmarks)
8 replies, 1472 views
ShareGet links to this post and/or share on social media
AlertAlert this post for a rule violation
PowersThere are no powers you can use on this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
ReplyReply to this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
Rec (31)
ReplyReply to this post
8 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight:
NoneDon't highlight anything
5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
International Experts Tell Senators That Single-Payer Improves National Health at Less Cost (Original Post)
antigop
Mar 2014
OP
The health system is example of 3rd way gone bad, now they are trying to do same with
pragmatic_dem
Mar 2014
#2
rhett o rick
(55,981 posts)1. Senators know what a corrupt system we have. They are responsible. nm
pragmatic_dem
(410 posts)2. The health system is example of 3rd way gone bad, now they are trying to do same with
education system. Less efficiency and higher costs are coming to a charter school near you.
mindwalker_i
(4,407 posts)3. Fucking socialists
Here in this here country, we don't look at no fancy data stuff. We know in ar hearts whut's right, and how stuff shuld be dune. We's tuf on crime, long is it's those hippee people smokin' marujewana, bankers who steal billions, not so mush.
AlbertCat
(17,505 posts)4. Everybody knows that.
Yeah... well did you know some republicans are not too bright?
ErikJ
(6,335 posts)5. Medicare overhead is 3% vs 30% for private insurers.
And Medicare has a higher patient satisfaction rate than the privates. Single-payer now!
Scuba
(53,475 posts)6. Them furiners don't unnerstand 'Merika.
Jefferson23
(30,099 posts)7. Recommend. n/t
Most of them are not stupid - they already know this. They also know they can't live without Big Insurance bribes.