Tuesday, September 26, 2017

Why single payer health care is a terrible option, says CNN

CNN. Wait! What?
  • Scott W. Atlas: Democrats are now championing a precarious form of health care -- single payer .  For decades, single payer health care has failed to deliver on quality and care in numerous other countries, writes Atlas

"The Affordable Care Act (ACA) is failing. Without regard for consequences, the law expanded government insurance programs and imposed considerable federal authority over US health care via new mandates, regulations and taxes. Insurance premiums skyrocketed even as deductibles rose; consumer choices of insurance on state marketplaces have rapidly vanished; and for those with ACA coverage, doctor and hospital choices have narrowed dramatically. Meanwhile, consolidation across the health care sector has accelerated at a record pace, portending further harm to consumers, including higher prices of medical care.

"Almost inexplicably, even more top-down control -- single-payer health care, a system in which the government provides nationalized health insurance, sets all fees for medical care and pays those fees to doctors and hospitals -- has found new support from the left. And this despite its decades of documented failures in other countries to provide timely, quality medical care, and in the face of similar problems in our own single-payer Veterans Affairs system.

"Clearly, this moment cries out for the truth about single-payer health care -- conclusions from historical evidence and data.

"Single-payer health care is proven to be consistently plagued by these characteristics:" . . .Read the entire article here.

The main points discussed in more detail are these:
  • Massive waiting lists and dangerous delays for medical appointments
  • Life-threatening delays for treatment, even for patients requiring urgent cancer treatment or critical brain surgery
  • Delayed availability of life-saving drugs
  • Worse availability of screening tests
  • Significantly worse outcomes from serious diseases
. . . "And make no mistake about it -- America's most vulnerable, the poor, as well as the middle class, will undoubtedly suffer the most if the system turns to single-payer health care, because they will be unable to circumvent that system."

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