How to Build a Single-Payer Health System: Lessons From Taiwans Turnaround

[egbertowillies]

There are obvious reasons why some people in the United States oppose the prospect of single-payer health care. Taking the profit out of health care — a moral imperative and the norm internationally — poses a major threat to the pharmaceutical industry, insurance companies and others. These interests spend millions donatingto and lobbying powerful politicians in both parties. The goal is to do what corporations are designed to do: maximize profit regardless of its impact on outside stakeholders and the public at large.

https://singlepayerhealthcarenow.com/2018/01/14/lesson-taiwan-single-payer/

[Sophia4]

1. Why single payer can save money in the long run.

Taiwan’s system allows for savings in part due to the increased purchasing power of a national risk pool. “As a single payer, Taiwan’s NHI is able to exercise its [sole purchasing] power to manage its health expenditure growth,” concludes a November study published in Social Science and Medicine that examined the costs of single-payer and multi-payer systems.

Savings also come from a decrease in administrative waste. According to a paper written by Raymond Kuo of the National Taiwan University and others in the London Journal of Primary Care, “Owing to the single insurer system, Taiwan’s NHI has one of the lowest administrative costs in the world, typically under 2 percent of total healthcare spending.” In the US, it is estimated that a third of US health dollars are spent on paperwork, and the Commonwealth Fund reports that 25 percent of hospital costs go toward administrative expenses, the highest of all countries studied.

https://singlepayerhealthcarenow.com/2018/01/14/lesson-taiwan-single-payer/

I lived in four European countries on the economy in each one. All of them had one or another form of single-payer insurance. I loved it, and I had, while living there, two cesareans that were complicated. Single-payer is the way to go.

On a list of OECD nations, we are 26th out of 34 when it comes to life expectancy.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_sovereign_states_by_life_expectancy

We can do better.
A better healthcare system is one of the keys to longer lives for all of us.

Doctors should be able to focus on patient care and not on collecting bills and worrying about whether their patients can pay their bills. Single-payer means doctors are more certain to be paid and patients can be healthier because they get life-long care even when maybe they don't have jobs or their lives are in turmoil.

And everyone else gets healthcare that we all deserve.

Really. We should have done this 40 years ago.

[msongs]

2. IMO democrats are as bad an obstacle as repubs. all tied into corporations and money nt

[WyattKansas]

3. Everyone wants their vulture capitalism healthcare profits.

I have been penalized and punished by our healthcare fraud system all of my life. I don't give a damn how anyone tries to justify it.

Think about it... If you have health problems, the U.S. Government has decided to penalize and punish you with privatized vulture capitalism, while those without health problems get an exemption to not pay recurring penalties or punishment, unless tragedy strikes their life too. And I'm not talking about the 3rd wheel insurance corporation extorting their cut of the fraud.

Republicans force privatization and Eugenics policies, while Democrats do as little as possible to actually help anymore, unless it serves one of their 'chic' issues too. Healthcare has been tied to vulture capitalism for so long, it no longer resolves any health problems and only pushes recurring treatment for increasing stable profits.

[area51]

4. Kick for the night crew, n/t

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

5. Does "Single-Payer" imply free education in medicine?

Does it imply limited awards for malpractice?

Are there "trade-offs" in a single-payer system?