Way to Go CA! 49 More States to Go!

[MannyGoldstein]

1. Every other developed nation on Earth (save Switzerland) has universal single-payer health care.

2. No other country (except Canada) spends much more than half of what we spend, per capita. Canada spends about 2/3rds as much as we do, per capita.

3. There is no evidence that health care in other first world countries is worse than in ours. In fact, the best evidence is that our health care outcomes are well below average - for example, our life expectancy and infant mortality are at the bottom of the first-world pack.

We can discuss innovation and the unseen hand of Adam Smith until the cows come home - but the bottom line is that universal single-payer health care works better and costs less in every instance where it's been tried - even in the US, with Medicare. Doctors whine because they can only make five times what an average worker makes. Insurance companies moan because the 20% excess in health care costs that pays for them funds a lot of whopping fat-cat salaries. Pharma companies squeal because they can only charge half as much for the same drugs, since there is a rational purchasing plan.

But... remember those people called "the rest of us"? We'd get better health care, for everyone, at a much lower cost. When our pols start working for US, then we'll have universal single-payer health care. Until then, we'll have ever-more-byzantine versions of the expensive mess we have now.

[GOPBasher]

1. You're so right.

This is in the top three or four issues that are most dear to me. I think it's insane that 45 million Americans don't have health insurance (including me and my family, btw) and even many who are covered are killing themselves paying the bills.

It would also help the economy a lot, since businesses would not have to pony up the money anymore.

[bananas]

2. Which states are next?

What other states are getting ready for this?

[tsuki]

3. Mass and ME.

[MannyGoldstein]

6. The Mass Plan is Wacky... Unworkable

The Mass plan is actually just a plan for a plan. Sadly, it will still be based on pivate insurers. As currently written, the plan basically says "Everyone must purchase health insurance as long as the government decides that the private insurers have made it affordable, and we really, really, really hope that they make it affordable, and businesses that don't offer insurance to their employees must pay a teeny-tiny fine."

I doubt that this will actually end up working.

[tsuki]

7. I agree. But we've let the insurance companies become too powerful.

I don't know how any politico can stand up to them.

[mom cat]

4. Great plan.

[mmonk]

5. The great thing about a single payer system being tried

in a state is that people will see the results. When they see those results, everybody will want to move there and when other states see that, they will want to emulate that so they can get that economic growth as well.