Single Payer Health Care Summary

The economics of healthcare is not at all simple. What you put in is certainly not necessarily indicative of what you get out, as shown by the striking discrepancy between what we pay and what we get out of our healthcare system. This is demonstrated further by comparing our system to those of France and Italy, who come in first and second, respectively, in WHO’s international ranking of healthcare systems (“World Health Organization’s Ranking of the World’s Health Systems”). Counter to what many Americans may believe, a number of European nations do not have completely socialized medicine.

Many people believe that the current of health care in the United States is the best health care in the world however it has major shortcomings that has become more visible for the whole world to see. The United States has the most expensive health care system in the world based on health expenditure per capita and on

While campaigning for the 2016 presidential election, Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont proposed that America should adopt a single-payer health care system. In Sanders’s plan, there would have been only one insurance program that would have covered everyone in the United States; in effect, other programs such as Medicaid, Medicare, and especially private insurance would be discontinued (Holahan, 2016, p. 1). If Sanders’s proposal were to be carried out, it would be a drastic change from the current system which predominately comprises of private insurance and hospitals under limited government regulations. The debate reopened on whether or not a single-payer system would be an effective system health care system or economically viable. Due to the contrasting nature of current health care system in the United States, policymakers should approach proposals of single-payer health care systems with caution and an understanding of the benefits and the drawbacks by examining the successes and failures of real-world systems.

A nation that does not provide the opportunity, for the flourishing of health among its citizens, is inherently flawed. A country like the U.S is no exception to this assertion. The United States government should implement a single payer universal health care system. The Modern U.S health care is allowing its citizens to rack up vast amounts of medical debt, in addition, large amounts of its population to remain uninsured. The U.S lags behind an idea, which, many other countries have accepted and that is health care is a human right. A plethora of positive reasons stand behind the notion of a single payer universal health care system, like the ones in other countries. However, the system in place now, has many systemic problems that are hurting citizens, particularly the lower and middle class.

Reid’s goal is not only to compare health care, but to discover solutions for America within foreign models. Like many Americans, Reid is quite dissatisfied with the U.S. health care system. Even more, he is perplexed by how an industrialized, wealthy nation like the United States could rate so poorly in comparison to other nations. “With the help from many scholars and the Kaiser Family Foundation I traveled the world searching for a prescription to fix our country’s seriously ailing health care system” (8). While simultaneously seeking care for an injured shoulder, Reid is able to personally experience various health care systems, seeking elements that could help America.

The documentary present by PBS “Sick Around the World” gave an insightful look to what other country’s healthcare systems are compared to the US. The film took a closer look at the healthcare systems of Great Britain, Japan, Germany, and Taiwan. Comparing all these country’s healthcare systems, the components in common are that it’s universal, fixed prices for medical treatment, and majority of providers believe that the citizens pay too little for healthcare. The problem with the issues changing the American healthcare system is that the culture of the US is individualistic, meaning we are grown to focus on ourselves, not the others around us. Changing the system, allowing healthcare to be universal is a problem to individuals because

The U.S. is an industrialized nation that continues to be behind on providing health care coverage to all citizens. However, the German health care system came up with a plan that ensured all citizens are provided with some form of health care coverage; nevertheless, the U.S. continues to dispute health care reform and how to provide coverage to all citizens. “Health spending per capita in the United States is much higher than in other countries – at least $2,535 dollars, or 51%, higher than Norway, the next largest per capita spender. Furthermore, the United States spends nearly double the average $3,923 for the 15 countries ("Health Care Cost," 2011, table 1)”.

Single-payer health care system services is a framework in which the state, instead of private organizations, are responsible for all insurance bills. This system of health contract for medicinal services administrating from private associations and to public responsibility enhanced by state governments. In this way subsidizing health billings and alluding to social insurance financed by a single individual from a solitary reserve which can’t indicate the sort of deliverance, or for whom doctors and specialists work. Its real subsidization of health expenses of all the population of the respective state without any discrimination or segregation whether rich or poor.

One of the main reasons the single payer model has not been adopted by the U.S. is due to the political obstruction that stands in the way of change. For example, Representative John Conyers every year since 2002 has introduced an act for a single-payer system but neither his bill nor any others succeeded in getting more than 20 percent congressional co-sponsorship (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/its-time-for-a-single-payer-healthcare-system_us_58d6470de4b0f633072b37f8). Such a low percentage demonstrates the stationary political climate associated with health care system reform in the U.S. Additionally, implementing a single payer system would monumentally increase government spending. Although, it has been found that, on a per capita basis the U.S. government health programs alone spend more than Canada, Australia, France and Britain each do on their entire health systems

According to Squires and Chloe, the United States of America is considered as the greatest country in the world, with the largest economy, military powers, freedom of religion and speech, and one of the most successful democrats (2). However, the United States in the only western modernized nation that does not offer free healthcare services to all its citizens. Apparently, the costs of the healthcare services to the uninsured individuals in the US are prohibitive, where the insurance companies are interested in making higher profit margins than providing adequate health care to the insured (Squires and Chloe 4). These conditions are unexpectable and incompatible with the United States

One solution I found very remarkable is the single payer healthcare system created by Senator Bernie Sanders. The objective for this solution is for middle class and up to pay a bit more in taxes than the poor. The benefits of this program will provide more medical attention to the public without co-payments, deductibles and premiums. This will allow people to pick the hospital of their choice without the hassle from an insurance company.

This paper outlines the differences between the healthcare systems of the United States and the United Kingdom and expands on what that means for the health and wealth of the citizens of these countries. The U.S. and the U.K. are two different countries with two very different healthcare systems. The U.S. healthcare system is the Affordable Care Act, (ACA) and is the attempt by the U.S. to provide affordable healthcare coverage. he U.K. healthcare system is publicly financed and managed by the National Health Service, (NHS). The U.S. healthcare system is largely private sector whereas the healthcare in the U.K. is public. “The U.S. spends more on health care than any other country in the nation while the U.K. is a country that spends

Instead of using net income to increase salaries, it would be used for increasing health services (Relman 35). Development programs and modernization would be financed by independent grants going towards the needs of communities instead of profit (Gaffney 988). Performance costs would not be used for profits, advertisements, or business investments (Gaffney 988). In comparison, a single payer healthcare system would give complete health coverage leaving out deductibles and copayments to every American (Gaffney 987).

Most Americans like to believe that “America has the best health care system in the world”. However, without researching healthcare systems in other countries around the world, it is hard to say this. America uses private health care unlike many other countries. Not all citizens are guaranteed health care in America because universal healthcare is not used here. Also, America does not ensure financial protection and fair distribution of financing.

There has always been a rise in cost of the health care thus various individuals are trying to understand the coverage options for their health coverage which has led them to search for various health care packages so as to save money. Amongst the controversial alternative that will enable citizens to safe money is the single payer health care. In this health package, citizens pays taxes for various health care services which are being issued by the government to every gentleman, lady as well as the child. For some times now, this system has been used in United