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

Luminous Animal

(27,310 posts)
Sat Feb 6, 2016, 03:29 PM Feb 2016

Surprisingly, U.S. taxpayers pay enough to fund national health insurance. We just don't get it.

http://www.philly.com/philly/opinion/20160205_Single-payer_health_plan_wouldn_t_cost_U_S__more.html

In our "read my lips/over my dead body" political culture, the threat of tax increases usually shuts down proposals for single-payer national health insurance. Lately, conservative pundits - and even liberals like Hillary Clinton - have been repeating the mantra that single-payer insurance would break the bank.

Never mind that Canadians, Australians, and Western Europeans spend about half what we do on health care, enjoy universal coverage, and are healthier. Their health-care taxes are higher.

Or are they? According to our study in the current issue of the American Journal of Public Health, American taxpayers picked up 65 percent of the total health-care tab last year - a figure that will soon rise to 67 percent.

We paid $2.1 trillion in taxes to fund health care - $6,560 per person. That's more per capita than Canadians or people in any other nation pay. Indeed, our tax-financed health-care bill is higher than total health spending (private as well as public) in any other nation except Switzerland.

Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/opinion/20160205_Single-payer_health_plan_wouldn_t_cost_U_S__more.html#9DrAlUeMQRvmECvv.99
9 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Surprisingly, U.S. taxpayers pay enough to fund national health insurance. We just don't get it. (Original Post) Luminous Animal Feb 2016 OP
yes but the military is doing just fine and it has medical coverage thank you nt msongs Feb 2016 #1
Kick. Luminous Animal Feb 2016 #2
Kicked and recommended. Uncle Joe Feb 2016 #3
You are welcome Uncle Joe. Luminous Animal Feb 2016 #6
i have said before questionseverything Feb 2016 #4
Yep. Luminous Animal Feb 2016 #7
plus like another 200M people MisterP Feb 2016 #5
k and r senseandsensibility Feb 2016 #8
Kick Luminous Animal Feb 2016 #9
Latest Discussions»Retired Forums»2016 Postmortem»Surprisingly, U.S. taxpay...