Single Payer is not a synonym for Universal Healthcare.

[kennetha]

There is more than one way to skin a cat. Much of the debate in the democratic primary, especially from the Sanders side, seems blind to this fact.

http://truecostblog.com/2009/08/09/countries-with-universal-healthcare-by-date/

[Ron Green]

1. One risk pool is the place to start, if we want a system

that's equitable, accessible and cuts costs. That's why it's "single payer" that's the goal.

[Avalux]

2. Hillary wants to keep the insurance and pharma cos. running the show.

Not much of a change from what we have now; coverage would be modified and expanded in some way.

Single payer is exactly that - the corps and pharma cos lose their power, everyone would be guaranteed health care regardless of employment or ability to pay.

[merrily]

3. Medicare for All.

[DanTex]

4. It appears to be nearly impossible to simultaneously be a Bernie supporter and understand this.

[kennetha]

5. indeed

[ljm2002]

12. I am so sick of condescending fools...

...telling us that Bernie supporters don't understand the difference between single payer and other possible systems.

Please stick to debating on the merits rather than throwing around these tired slurs.

[beachbum bob]

6. lots of big words and concepts...can this be on wiki so the under 25 crowd can understand it??

[rurallib]

7. What is your proposal then

to get EVERYONE covered?
Our current so called insurance mandate is sorely lacking, is expensive and leaves insurance companies often as the final arbiters of what coverage an individual will get.

We have been debating this for a century + now and most people come down on the side of single payer as the most effective way to get all people covered at the most efficient cost. I really do not think much more debate is needed.

The Democratic Party has always had as its ideal true universal health care with single payer cited by most as the best vehicle.

I understand that insurance companies do not want to give up their power, but at some point we must act in the best interest of the country as a whole.

[Recursion]

8. Well, no, that's been the least common solution in the industrialized world

In most countries either the government sets prices and provides some subsidies for care, or the government mandates participation in some kind of third party insurance pool which negotiates prices with providers. Both work pretty well. Single payer isn't very common in the OECD.

[ljm2002]

13. It is really amusing to me...

...to watch people here claim on the one hand that Bernie has not shown "a path" to achieve universal health care, and then go on to talk about all the possible ways of achieving such.

But you never show a path to universal health care by tweaking our current system, and you never acknowledge that in THIS country we already have a working system that, if extended, would provide universal health care -- namely, Medicare for all, simply by switching everyone over to a system that is ALREADY in place.

Paralysis by analysis. It's another tried and true tactic to block progress.

[rurallib]

16. Again, what is your proposal?

i would submit that all these are merely variations on a theme.
That theme is that ultimately the government is responsible for health care being universal whether it be single payer, mandated insurance with government oversight or subsidies that still has government oversight.

We have little oversight with the ACA, thus leaving insurance companies mostly in charge. This must be fixed.

Solution for the US please. The ACA is a half-measure.
At least Sanders has offered a real goal.

[Recursion]

17. As I've posted multiple times, a combination of global budgeting and an FQHC expansion (nt)

[Old Codger]

9. Not only coverage

We need more than just coverage, the ACA is a huge gift to the medical insurance companies, it does nothing at all to rein in actual medical costs where one life saving injection can cost $12,000.00 and one night in hospital or even a necessary visit to an ER can bankrupt someone...That is the true need...

[ljm2002]

10. Thanks a bunch for the lesson...

...another condescending post from Camp Hillary letting the rest of us know that we are just uninformed and don't understand how single payer works and have no concept at all that there are other systems out there.

Yes, I and most others here DO understand "the difference". We have come to the conclusion that single payer will work in this country. We understand that by extending a system already in place -- namely, Medicare -- to have it cover everyone, rather than only those 65 and older, we have a path towards universal health CARE.

Yes, I and most others here DO understand that the coverage will not be 100% of everything.

Yes, I and most others here DO understand that our preferred system will not be perfect.

Next.

[kennetha]

14. But so many of you really do seem uninformed

Haven't seen any realistic discussion from anyone on the Sanders' side. It's just all pie in the sky, devoid of any hint of realism, and when somebody actually starts talk real policy and real tradeoffs, you just start hurling ad hominems rather than real arguments.

[ljm2002]

15. Hmmm, ad hominem...

...like "so many of you really do seem uninformed" and "haven't seen any realistic discussion from anyone on the Sanders' side" and "you just start hurling ad hominems rather than real arguments"...

Like that?

Just to be clear: your post does not include ONE "real argument", it is all broad brush slurs against Sanders supporters without one word of supporting evidence.

Fail.

[Ron Green]

11. The delivery system is a whole other issue.

1. Get-rich guys will have to go away.
2. There will be some rationing, in ways that make sense.
3. Public health and community design will be huge.