With single-payer health care, it’s the government and not private insurers who pay for all health care costs. In Canada, single-payer systems can contract healthcare services from private organization. In the UK, single-payer systems can own and employ healthcare resources and personnel. Basically, the term single-payer refers to the funding mechanism and it doesn’t specify that kind of delivery or for whom doctors work.
Senator Bernie Sanders, a candidate for president in the upcoming 2016 US Presidential Elections, is pushing for the Medicare-for-all health care program, a program which is similar to those in developed democratic nations. Although America now has ObamaCare, Sanders feels that it is not enough.
While Sanders’ health care idea is supported by some, obviously, he has some dissenters as well. John C Goodman, a Forbes contributor, wrote that Sanders’ home state of Vermont abandoned plans to implement single-payer health insurance, something which is allowed under ObamaCare. He expected Sanders to have an answer but he did not. Goodman offered his own instead: implementing it would make Vermont the highest taxing state in the US.
That said, let’s look at why the idea of single-payer health care is being supported and why it isn’t:
List of Pros of Single-Payer Health Care
1. Everyone gets health care, regardless of financial situation
Health care is such an important issue all over the world, and sadly not everyone has access to them. Getting sick is a costly affair and can get nasty when you don’t have access to much-needed finances. Also, even those with existing insurance policies still find it hard to have certain bills paid.
That issue is something that a single-payer system wants to eliminate. Meaning, it wants to cover people and make sure they receive attention when they need and not when they can afford it.
2. It gets rid of the pre-existing condition clause
Several insurers deny people from getting coverage because they have a pre-existing condition. Finding one that offers a policy that will support you even with a pre-existing condition in your area can be a daunting task. This is a problem single-payer health care systems want to improve on.
Let’s say you got a knee injury in high school. When applying of health care, some would take that injury as a minus and deny your application. With a single-payer system, this kind of problem is eliminated.
List of Cons of Single-Payer Health Care
1. It takes time to receive care
Countries where single-payer health care systems are introduced have lengthy wait times until a person can receive attention. For some, it takes as long as six to eight weeks for a specialist to be available and see you regarding your concerns. Since that’s a pretty long period, the condition that you want to see a specialist for might progress even further.
2. It results in doctor shortages
The effects of increased health care have resulted in doctor shortages in America, particularly in rural areas. Routine procedures such as needed vaccinations and long-term health maintenance can put patients on six month waiting list.
3. It degrades the quality of health care
With so many patients to see with so little time on their hands, sometimes things are a bit rushed. As a result, a diagnosis might not be right and that is bad for both doctor and patient.