John Nichols: Single-Payer Health Care Would Stimulate Economy

[marmar]

from The Nation:



Single-Payer Health Care Would Stimulate Economy
posted by John Nichols on 01/14/2009 @ 08:58am



There is an unhealthy tendency on the part of politicians and journalists to see discussions about economic recovery and health care reform as separate debates.

In fact, one of the most important steps on the road to economic recovery – or, more precisely, toward a new, responsible and sustainable prosperity – involves the fundamental reform this country's broken health care system.

But it must be the right reform: the establishment of a national single-payer style healthcare reform system by expanding the existing Medicare system to cover all Americans. According to a new "Single Payer/Medicare for All: An Economic Stimulus Plan for the Nation" study released today by the National Nurses Organizing Committee/California Nurses Association, such a reform would provide a major stimulus for the U.S. economy by creating 2.6 million new jobs and infusing $317 billion in new business and public revenues into the economy. This reform would, according to the study, add $100 billion in wages to the currently sputtering U.S. economy.

Indeed, notes the NNOC/CAN, the number of jobs created by a single-payer system, expanding and upgrading Medicare to cover everyone, parallels almost exactly the total job loss in 2008. "These dramatic new findings document for the first time that a single payer system could not only solve our healthcare crisis, but also substantially contribute to putting America back to work and assisting the economic recovery," says NNOC/CAN c o-president Geri Jenkins, RN. .......(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.thenation.com/blogs/thebeat/396919/single_payer_health_care_would_stimulate_economy?rel=hp_blogs_box

[PM Martin]

1. But, But, you can't get liposuction on demand.

<Satire>

[bobbolink]

2. EXCELLENT article! Thanks!

:applause:

[Hawkowl]

3. Single payer is a prerequisite for economic recovery

The stupid propagandists (MSM) are desperately trying to spin that health care reform is too expensive. In reality it is too expensive NOT to go to single payer.

[w4rma]

4. Yup. I really don't think America can recover without single-payer. (nt)

[eridani]

5. You'd think that legislators would be delighted to know that one of our most serious problems

--health care financing--can be solved without spending any more money than we are now spending. We are already paying for universal health care--we just aren't getting it.

[Demeter]

6. Congress Is Protecting the Insurance Companies

because (a) Insurance companies pay them well, and (b) Congresspeople don't ever have to do personal business with them, since they have their own private little universal health care plan.

[eridani]

7. Yes--their insurance is courtesy of the rest of us, uninsured included

Our only option here is to make them more afraid of their constituents.