Single Payer Universal Healthcare, also called "Medicare for All" or "Improved and Expanded Medicare for All," is an idea long overdue!  It means a healthcare system in which providers are reimbursed by a single, public funding source. There are already several examples of single payer systems, such as Medicare, Medicaid, and the VA.  But these do not cover all Americans.  In a true, universal, single payer / Medicare for All system:

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• All citizens would be enrolled automatically in a single healthcare pool.  No application, no eligibility requirements, rejections, or means testing.​

• There would be no more need for health insurance companies, which are unnecessary middlemen which add costs but do not add value.​

• There would be no more premiums, co-pays, deductibles or other out-of-pocket costs.  The average family health plan costs over $28,000 now, including a $7000 deductible.

• ​95% of Americans would pay less, in some cases much less, out of pocket, because the savings will outweigh any tax raises.​

• Almost all doctors, dentists, hospitals, and other providers will be in-network, so people can go anywhere for healthcare. ​

• Healthcare would no longer be tied to employment; people will have much more freedom to work where they want without having to worry about losing their benefits.​

• Large and medium businesses and companies will no longer be burdened by skyrocketing employee healthcare costs.​

• Small businesses will be able to attract better talent and have less turnover because employees will have healthcare taken care of.​

• Self-employed people will not have to worry that a healthcare crisis might cost them everything they've worked for.​

 

The costs of medical care will come down because:

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• With a pool of 100s of millions (in a national system), the prices of medical equipment and pharmaceuticals will come down dramatically ​

• Doctors and hospitals will spend far less on staff who are dedicated to dealing with insurance companies​

• Doctors and hospitals will spend less on malpractice insurance and will have 40% more time to see more patients

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The costs of many other goods and services will come down as well such as:

 

• High healthcare premiums are the main drivers of rising college tuition

• Auto, homeowners, and other forms of liability insurance will become less expensive, because these are driven by medical costs

• Finance rates are high because of the number of defaults; 60% of bankruptcies are due to medical costs, and these will not happen under single payer

• The high costs of employee health benefits are passed along into the prices of most goods and services

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