Below are several local and national articles that demonstrate our current broken system. We encourage you to read them to learn more.
From the Los Angeles Times, September 13, 2022, by Karen Kaplan, “Coronavirus Today: How universal healthcare could save lives”
“If the U.S. had a universal healthcare system like the ones in Canada, the United Kingdom, Japan, or pretty much any other high-income country, more than 1 in 4 COVID-19 deaths here could have been prevented, the study authors estimate. That added up to 338,594 avoidable deaths as of March 2022.
The problem isn’t that the U.S. spends too little money on healthcare — indeed, on a per-capita basis, it spends far more than any other country. The problem is that our patchwork system of employer-based health insurance, Medicare for senior citizens and Medicaid for low-income Americans leaves a lot of gaps.”
https://www.latimes.com/science/newsletter/2022-09-13/coronavirus-today-how-lack-of-universal-healthcare-causes-excess-covid-deaths-coronavirus-today
From the Boulder Weekly, “A Colorado universal health care solution“, by Dave Anderson, February 3, 2022.
“It is unlikely that any significant health care reforms will be coming out of Washington, D.C. any time soon. Meanwhile, there’s a growing under-reported effort by elected officials and grassroots activists to pass single-payer systems at the state level. Single payer is a not-for-profit government-provided payment system which is privately delivered. It is also known as ‘improved Medicare for All.'”
https://www.boulderweekly.com/opinion/a-colorado-universal-healthcare-solution/?fbclid=IwAR3fE7wjWsKYsm5ClmAFMERGMJaEH4WmQCr5ju1Gr5Aq4JEN9faTd9W7d6M
From Wendall Potter NOW, “The majority of big insurers’ health plan revenues are subsidized by American taxpayers: see how your tax dollars are making health insurers’ CEOs very (very) rich.”
“A lot of people on Capitol Hill were surprised to learn that, as I wrote earlier, UnitedHealth Group, the nation’s largest health insurer, got 72% of its health plan revenue last year from taxpayers, not from private-paying customers. As you can imagine, that is not a talking point the company’s many lobbyists are likely to use with members of Congress and staffers. “
https://wendellpotter.substack.com/p/the-majority-of-big-insurers-health?utm_source=profile&utm_medium=reader2
From Wendall Potter NOW, “As big insurance announces record profits, skyrocketing out-of-pockets (finally) take center stage.”
“Politicians–and the media–are finally beginning to catch on: it’s not just skyrocketing premiums that are breaking the budgets of middle-class American families. It’s also what they have to pay out of their own pockets before their coverage kicks in.”
https://wendellpotter.substack.com/p/as-big-insurance-announces-record?r=6pa4x&s=r&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email
From APHA, the American Public Health Association, “Adopting a Single-Payer Health System”
“Health care is a human right. Achieving universal health coverage for all U.S. residents requires significant system-wide changes in financing of health care. The best, most efficient, equitable health system is a public, single-payer (SP) system. The rapid growth in national health expenditures can be addressed through a system that yields net savings over projected trends by eliminating profit and waste. With universal coverage, providers can focus on optimizing triage of services rather than working within a system covered by payers who have incentives to limit costs regardless of benefit. With SP systems, people act as their own insurers through partnerships with provider organizations wherein tax dollars work for everyone. Consumer choice is then based on best care to meet needs with no out-of-pocket payments. SP is the best option to ensure equity, fairness, and priorities aligned with medical needs. This approach benefits public health, as everyone will have universal access to needed care, with treatment plans based on what works best for the patient. Clinics and hospitals will be free to provide appropriate treatments based on need. Hospitals will accept all patients, with care reimbursed equally for all. Resolving the great discrepancy in coverage for mental health and substance use disorders relative to medical and surgical services is more likely in an SP model. Patients will partner in their care, receiving diagnosis, treatment, and prevention services without facing cost barriers. We will build a healthier nation, saving lives and reducing financial burdens while addressing inequities rooted in social, demographic, mental health, economic, and political conditions.”
https://www.apha.org/Policies-and-Advocacy/Public-Health-Policy-Statements/Policy-Database/2022/01/07/Adopting-a-Single-Payer-Health-System?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=171cf745-b101-44e9-9c97-44622a270e29