PLEASE...Someone explain "Single Payer" Health Reform in some detail.

[trayfoot]

Thanks!

[MNDemNY]

1. Medicare and medicaid are "single payer."

[cyberswede]

2. Good information here

From Physicians for a National Health Program:

http://www.pnhp.org/facts/single_payer_resources.php

Single-payer national health insurance is a system in which a single public or quasi-public agency organizes health financing, but delivery of care remains largely private

More at link, obviously. :)

[lostnotforgotten]

3. Simple - Very Simple

1) Federal Government Is The Single Payer

2) Government Negotiates Rates For Services, Tests, and Medicines

3) Each Citizen is free to choose their doctor since all doctors are paid by the same entity

4) Profit motive is removed from the equation since the rates are negotiated on an annual basis

5) If private insurers want to provide policies over and above that which is included in Universal Care, they are free to do so

Those are the high points.

[Sebass1271]

4. take insurance profiteering out of hands or

medicare for EVERYONE including good pay for doctors and nurses whom now are drowing in paperwork because of insurance companies..

here is another duer asking your same question.. you'll find tons of detailed information from other dUers as well...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x5602128#5602134

[trayfoot]

5. Thank you all so much!

[Winterblues]

8. medicare for EVERYONE including good pay for doctors and nurses

Many doctors are opting out of Medicare because of the very small payments. One reason there is so much attempted fraud ie. fake billings etc.

[The_Commonist]

6. You know, in this day and age...

... I find it hard to believe, what with all the googles and wikis, that people still ask questions like that!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Single_payer_health_care

[elocs]

7. Medicare is single payer and VA healthcare is socialized healthcare.

In Medicare the government is the single payer, but the hospitals are not owned by the government and their employees do not work for the government.

VA healthcare is socialized because the government owns the hospitals and clinics and the employees are government employees.

These are known and familiar examples for those who are opposed to single payer and for those who are scared by social medicine.

[avaistheone1]

9. Freequently asked questions

go to this link and them scroll down the page for some good FAQs.

http://www.pnhp.org/facts/singlepayer_faq.php

[area51]

10. Single-payer healthcare is a good alternative ...

... to 100,000 people dying per year due to lack of healthcare.