Improved Medicare for All (USA)

“Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health care is the most shocking and inhumane.” - MLK Jr. Improved Medicare for All would help restore America to broad prosperity. C1: Saves Money Improved Medicare for All, also known as Single Payer (SP) would save vast sums of wealth, so they could be reinvested into the American economy for broad growth. A federal, simple system would finance all medicall necessary medical costs (all other things can be covered by private insurance). (Math) The US economy is $15.3 trillion dollars. [1] The total health care spending of the US is about 17% of our whole economy, [2] so about $2.601 trillion dollars. Empirical evidence from the OECD shows that total administrative costs in the USA is about 7%. [3] All other nations (including Canada) have rates around 2-3%. Crunch the numbers, and say the US reduces its administrative burden to about 3%, and we save about $101.04 billion. Then, add the $12 billion in profits from big insurance companies. [4] Then, add the savings from a fully electronic system of information like I have suggested, (ICT) which would save about $77.8 billion annually. [5] Also, then add the financial savings from preventive care being used and making citizens having access to it, which would save $3.7 billion, and about 2 million lives a year. [6] Prescription drugs take up about 10% of all American health care spending [7], double the OECD average (per capita). [5] So, save 5% of health care spending due to cuts in prescription drug costs, that alone is $127.84 billion dollars. Then, add a health care entity that evaluates the effectiveness of drugs and procedures, this would "result in a significant reduction in health care costs." says the C.B.O. directer Peter Orszag. [8] Medical professionals/ hospitals would get a global budget, with a guaranteed profit. This would give incentives to decrease real costs through price transparency so that profits are increased. [14] This would save at least $30 billion. With 14.66% of the USA population uninsured (out of about 303 million) [11] (illegal immigrants not covered) [13], these add to everybody's health care costs (payed partially by private insurers, out of pocket, public insurance and uncompensated care). So then, to expand full comprehensive coverage to these people instead of receiving under-insurance, it would cost $41.14 billion (adjusted). [14] Undocumented immigrants would pay out of pocket, same as when US patients go to Thailand to get more affordable care. Compile the numbers, and the net savings with Improved Medicare for All would be at least $300 billion, or somewhat over $990 a person, assuming prior premiums are switched to public tax revenues. A simple efficient system finances care. A large risk pool lowers risk. Both factors reduce costs. *I reduced the sum to account for the transition of the health care system and to account for job retraining and placement for workers affected. C2: Pro-Business, Pro-Growth -----Businesses Businesses would have 10-12% lower labor costs. Workers compensation would be cut by up to 50%. Related labor negotiations and the bureaucracy associated would all be eliminated. [15] With the much lower labor costs and other associated costs eliminated, it would make American businesses more competitive in the global market, strengthening our economy and trade. There would be an equal playing field. So, Medicare for All also ensures fairness and gives opportunity to compete with businesses on all levels. Private taxation is prevalent. When 20-30% of payments go towards denying you care, and filling CEO and investor pockets, it is essentially a tax, that does not benefit the tax payer. SP would free up worker income, which would likely be used to buy new products and services, therefore further improving the economy. It is a win-win. Stronger demand and more competitive American businesses would help the economy grow. -----Pay raises Health care costs are spiking. Naturally in the market, when productivity increases, wages correlate to this. Since 1970 productivity has roughly doubled. However, health care has taken the place of compensation, making real wage growth minimal. SP would thus increase wealth for businesses, allowing increases in productivity to increase wages as a result, helping the market by huge factors. C3: Enhances Quality -----Patients All are ensured access to care, improving one's life. Global budgets hold down costs. Simple and fair rules make health care easier. A database ranks procedures and treatments to identify the efficacy of health motions. [5] Portability of coverage helps all of our lives. The doctor-patient relationship is empowered, they both make the best decisions to enhance one's life. A stable source of funding empowers doctors. This creates a greater potential of a support network to improve care. With improved access to care, simple and fair rules, more effective treatments and less waste, free choice of doctor, and the protection of the doctor-patient relationship all contribute to increased health care quality for Americans. -----Doctors Doctor-patient care. No longer will complex and intrusive HMO rules dictate what a doctor does to help his patient. Lower malpractice premiums are common in SP countries, as the gov't takes these costs. Computerized ICT records would lead to less errors. Simplified billing process. Time and money saved. Improved patient care. With a continuity of care, the doctor-patient care is improved. Decisions made improve care, instead of CEO profit margins. C4: Expands Freedom and Life Currently in our oppressive HMO environment, 45,000 Americans die annually [16] because of one simple reason: HMO's deny care. Doctors do care. Medicare for All emboldens the doctor-patient relationship so the best medical decisions are made. Medicare for All protects the lives of all of us. ---Private Plans You are not free if you have a serious illness and no health insurance. You could die. You are not free if you have to sell your home to keep a family member alive. When big insurance plans deny you care when you need it, they deny you liberty and life. ---Oppresive insurance companies deny us freedom, liberty, and life. ---Single Payer Everyone's life depends on Medicare for All. Health is a life and death issue. Everyone's freedom depends on Medicare for All. You are not free when you have a serious illness without treatment, which nearly all of us have sooner or later. Medicare for All enhances our freedom. The cure for America's sick health care system is Medicare for All. Americans care for each other. It is the basis of our democracy. Patriotism requires Medicare for All. With SP, it is just you and your doctor. You two make the best medical decisions. ---Medicare for All protects and empowers freedom, liberty, life, and opportunity for all Americans. Conclusion Medicare for all would be protect and empower all Americans. These two goals are the basis of our Democracy. By acting on our empathy for all Americans, we would also improve care, improve our lives, and expand our freedom. We would cut costs and vastly improve America's future economy. And it would produce high dividends in return. Health care is a moral mission. Derived from our principle of empathy for others, SP is an American plan to restore America's prosperity, peace, health, and moral core. Sources: [1] http://tinyurl.com... [2] Zakaria, Fareed, prod. "Overhauling Healthcare." CNN Presents. CNN: 2012. T.V. [3] http://tinyurl.com... [4] http://tinyurl.com... [5]J. Walker et al., "The Value of Health Care Information Exchange and Interoperability." [6] http://tinyurl.com... [7] http://tinyurl.com... [8] http://tinyurl.com... [10] http://tinyurl.com... [11] http://tinyurl.com... [12] http://tinyurl.com... [13] http://tinyurl.com... [14] http://tinyurl.com... [15] http://tinyurl.com... [16] http://tinyurl.com... [17] "The Little Blue Book", By George Lakoff, 2012. 38-40