Clearly, the most self-contradicting bit I’ve seen written at this site in a month.

This is like David S. claiming that he’s not a statist… right after proclaiming that the State should be handed control over our health care, given the authority to impose effectively unlimited taxation and allowed to control every other facet of our lives through cap-and-tax-and-spend legislation.

The system we have now was invented by the government, and has led to skyrocketing, out-of-control health care costs. That’s why it doesn’t work. Pretending that the government can ever fix what it has made successively worse with every attempt is tantamount to insanity. And the notion that “most of us” want socialized medicine is utter horsesh!t. People don’t “want” it. But because Congress is now completely ignoring the will of the People, they’re growing resigned to the idea that it’s going to be shoved down their throats whether they want it or not.

Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, I would argue that a complete single payer system is the best for how to implement our goals: the most people getting medical care –Unless you believe as some Democrats do that the Republican and libertarian plans are to have some people “Die quickly”, then this is a no-brainer. Now the question becomes, which idea (plan) will do this most efficiently and cheaply? Which brings us to a new goal, which plan will cost the least? I would argue that within the concept of costs, we should consider both taxes paid and insurance company costs. there is no magical money that appears in my pocket or bank account when that money goes into the private sector. So now the question for your health care dollar is which method is cheapest? I would argue that single payer system is cheapest per individual.

But some people say, what about bureaucracy? Have you ever read an insurance company policy or dealt with an insurance company on a hard question? They can give the IRS or the former soviet union a run for (your) money in bureaucratic rules and regulations.

As for the question of death panels put as “Who will kill grandmother?” Insurance companies today have panels which regulate who gets treatment in order to maximize their profit.

Now i am not a fan of government or other bureaucracies running our lives, and believe that whatever idea for solving the healthcare mess comes about, eternal vigilance and individual relationships to their health and healthcare providers is absolutely necessary, nevertheless after studying all the alternatives, i believe a single payer (medicare for all) plan is the best.

AMEN!!!

Why is this such a difficult concept for so many people? Has the government done THAT good of a job brainwashing Americans into thinking that “coverage” and “health care” are the same – and that we’re entitled to receive it, essentially “free”?

The socialist, Great Society central planners started this brainwashing process with Medicare, which was followed by health care costs beginning to rise at rates higher than inflation.

They continued this process with HMOs – hardly different from the costly, failed program that was recently implemented in MA, with Mitt ‘RINO’ Romney’s cheerful support. HMOs – mandated, comprehensive group coverage – were followed by a significant jump in the rate of health care cost increases, thereafter MUCH higher than inflation.

As the HMO program slowly fell apart, the feds intervened once again with government-supported, comprehensive group coverage through employers. This was intended solely to keep people addicted to ostensibly “free” health care (i.e., little if any money actually leaves the patient’s wallet at the time of service), thereby disassociating the consumer of health care from the provider and distorting the perceived value of health care goods and services. Again, what followed was another jump in the rate of increase in health care costs, which at this point has gone literally out of control (i.e., there is NOTHING working to keep those costs down).

The free market for health care has been utterly destroyed by government meddling and support of comprehensive group health care insurance. Routine health care is the ONLY cost of living we pay for through a group insurance policy and it’s the ONLY commodity cost of living whose prices have skyrocketed at rates multiple times that of inflation for decades.

Tort reform is fine, but there isn’t a single point in this plan that will increase competition among health care providers, restore the economic relationship between health care consumer and provider and actually work to bring health care costs down. It’s a plan only a Socialist-Lite® RINO would come up with as a weakened alternative – a reaction – to outright socialized medicine, and it leads in the same direction.

The health care problem in America is caused by the skyrocketing cost of routine health care, not “lack of coverage”. Arguing about “coverage” and “plans”, etc., completely misses this point and will lead to socialized medicine within a decade. Then you can kiss your Republic good-bye.

The real solution – one which would force routine health care costs back down into equilibrium with other routine costs of living – is much simpler.

Why not loosen your grip on prescription medications? Mexicans can buy all kinds of drugs under the guidance of the pharmacist. I have saved a bunch since the GERD drugs became OTC. How many emergency room visits are simply to get some Cipro for an infection?

How is a consumer to “shop around” for medical services when even elective procedures require “estimates” that you have to pay to receive?

We need insurance companies to publish the established rates for procedures.

We need foreign dentists to be allowed to practice in the U.S. if they pass a test instead of having to go through dental school all over again.

Best article I have seen here or anywhere else!

I wish someone in the right place would listen to your ideas.

It’s never too late!