Maybe our country needs to go to a single payer system.
23 replies (most recent on top)
The reason why it would fail is simple math. All Medicaid and charity care would see a boost to Medicare rates (still below cost), while commercial and private rates get cut. The closures and layoffs will be bad enough and no way to avoid once passage is signed into law. Since the underlying funding is changed, layoffs will not be enough. This is where compensation cuts come in and also holds the most variability as to staffing and possible additional layoffs. Make no mistake, people will retire or quit the industry and it likely will be sizable. Once signed, it would set in motion a lot of things that can't be undone - main reason it doesn't get enough votes now. Realigning 20% of the US economy will cause the markets to take a serious hit to include all retirement investments. If you have dedicated health industry stocks such as EH, you better move it out to something like stable value funds just prior to signing because it's best days are in the rearview mirror.
Read how insurers fraud the system …
https://archive.ph/RvioL
Stealing our tax dollars and eliminating jobs … the double whammy.
Most of these posts indicate a departure from reality. We are not a socialist country, there will be a multi payer system. As much as people may relish the idea of a single payor, there are MULTIPLE issues with the Canada healthcare system and the NHS.
Please, these posts of wishful thinking should stop. It will never happen.
Very few countries are true single payer; most have large private sectors for anything other than the most basic because the government offered coverage is sh*t. There are also other laws that countries with SP have that we don’t - ones like only citizens are covered, extremely strict immigration law, etc. Do some research - it’s not as simple as people think.
Many other countries have single payer and it works. For some reason this country uses fear to keep the current system
Medicare for all would reshape the entire industry. It's not just a catchy name but the reimbursement level for all providers. How many businesses do you know that get reimbursed less than cost? It will be all about cuts. Since not every procedure/dr-g will be covered, a few large insurance companies will still be needed to manage. Within these remaining companies, redundancies will go away as there is only 1 line of business. LOB related projects - gone. The big question is the level of reimbursement to the insurance companies. Since those at the bedside are going to take a hit and insurance companies are viewed as a villain, expect reduced compensation for those still gainfully employed.
Like any other business, hospitals and clinics have to balance their books but against the new reality. Every single one will be making major service-line cuts. There are several hundred hospitals currently at risk and will likely be gone. As far as clinics, would assume there are several more times the number of hospitals in this risk category.
Provider staffing, already a problem, will get worse. Previous payer mix will factor into how much of a salary cut awaits those still holding jobs but very likely double-digit. About 30% of current healthcare workers are at or near retirement, will probably lose a good share of them. How many not in this age group will leave? This could also impact med schools and residency. This all plays back into the cuts at the facility level. Could also cause additional places to shut their doors depending on who and how many leave. Not all jobs in the hospitals are specific to healthcare. Compensation cuts to those will be a problem as EMRs need a fair amount of staffing.
Other industry areas affected:
EMR vendors - providers have less money and likely staff to manage.
Pharm - fewer providers writing scripts, fewer dollars coming in. This will also impact other countries around the globe and could increase dr-g shortages.
“People in Canada wait months”…SO DO PEOPLE IN THE US!!! Don’t get me started. Healthcare is f*cked, Period.
Oh WOW! You went there?! To the people suggesting this isn't the right forum.... seriously? It's what we all get paid to do! Do you not have an opinion because I guarantee everyone working in this industry does. Why did you click if you weren't interested? Personally, I enjoy a good discussion with facts on BOTH sides and some heartfelt opinions and experiences sprinkled in for good measure. But nobody seems interested in doing that anymore.
Insurance companies & big pharmaceutical companies run this country. They pay off politicians. This will never happen in the USA. Everything here is about money & power. They do not care about anything else period.
Single-payer system is NOT what we need. Ppl in Canada wait months to have routine services or weeks to get test results the only way you can get expedited service is if you have private insurance, pay cash or have a very poor diagnosis.
So far only one reply is related to layoffs or potential layoffs, which is the purpose of this site. Discussions about pros/cons of single-payer are better placed on FaceBook or similar. Let’s keep the threads on topic please; we’ve got 3 weeks to D-day folks. Good luck to us all.
Wish there were laws that protect our jobs from being offshore to India or the Philippines.
Single-payer works!!! Womb to tomb is how my friend explained her coverage in Canada! Nursing homes and assisted living facilities are also covered.
Single-Payer, aka Medicare for All, aka Universal Healthcare, is absolutely what we need. And just like the government vendors out Medicare, Medicaid, Duals, ACA today - it would continue to do so, but with key adjustments.
You do realize that most of our "illegals" are coming from countries with universal healthcare, right? That's not the draw, friend.
Okay, but you first have to believe that healthcare should be profit-driven and beholden to shareholders. I don't, so agree to disagree.
Single payer works. Ask your parents on Medicare, and ask your wallet that you aren't being bankrupted, paying for their doctor's appointments.
Restrict single-payer to a certain group based on citizenship is illegal.
Single-payer for those in our country legally!! We can't sustain everyone!!
Single-payer would be worth a try, as this proves to be successful in other parts of the world. It would dismantle our industry as we know it today, but after it is said and done it would likely be a change for the better. If the ACA is ripped out from under us, millions will be without insurance again!!
Free healthcare + free immigration policy + anchor baby family plan for all
I would love to see our country go to single-payer system. like the other industrialized nations. We should not have Americans have to go without medical treatment or medications or mental health treatment based on ability or inability to pay. My family member was ivisiting in London 2 weeks ago and ended up in the ER. He received great treatment...and was not asked to pay anything and was not even asked for his insurance card or even if he has insurance. This is what our country needs!!! The system as we know it today is not sustainable with the premiums as they are and with so many losing their employer sponsored plans. Thanks for taking your time to read.this post.
Single payer would be a disaster and make the current situation seem trivial. If you wanted to gut an entire industry, that would do it.
Single-payer system is worth a try. Our current system is not sustainable.