Single-Payer Health Insurance
As a US citizen, you have most likely experienced debt or have known someone that has. The US is one of the highest-rated high-income countries of healthcare expenses per person, and I have researched to find that it is the cause of the United States' multi=payer healthcare system and that if the US adopted or confirmed to the same type of healthcare system that the United Kingdom has, it would be for the benefits of it's citizens and would lesson the debt for it's people.
I have had my own experience with the US healthcare system of balance billing and charges from healthcare providers that seemingly go unchecked by for-profit health care insurances. I purpose that if the US moved into a single-payer healthcare system, on that manages the charges by healthcare providers, it will be in the benefit of the people of the US as well as benefit the country itself as its citizens will be more healthier as they can receive the medical care they wouldn't otherwise due to a multi-payer healthcare system.
What is a single-payer healthcare system, and why should the United States conform to this type of system as other high-income countries?
The United States of America should conform to a single-payer healthcare system similar to that of the European Union, and in doing so will better the lives of the citizens that live within the US. A single-payer healthcare system is a system in which one public entity, the government, is the only source of healthcare coverage for the people in that country and is generally paid for through taxes.
It will eliminate the need for for-profit Healthcare businesses, which causes increased prices in healthcare spending. As stated in this article from the Center of Medicare and Medicaid Services, "U.S. health care spending grew 4.6 percent in 2019, reaching $3.8 trillion or $11,582 per person." (CMS). In the UK as stated by James Cooper of the Office of National Statistics, "In 2018, spending on health care in the UK totalled £214.4 billion, equating to £3,227 spent per person. This includes both government and non-government spending on health care." (Cooper).
By being paid through taxes and under government regulation, it will help control the prices of medical expenditures. In an article written by Dr. S. Vincent Rajkumar of Mayo Clinic, he speaks on the high costs of insulin in the United States and the deaths that occur due to it, such as 23 year old Alec Smith who was found dead in his apartment due to rationing his insulin as he was unable to afford the costs. (Rajkumar) Dr. Rajkumar explains "The price of insulin is also a stark and troubling example of the rising cost of prescription drugs in the United States and highlights a systemic problem with how drugs are priced compared with every other commodity." (Rajkumar)
The health of a human should be treated as a human right, and as we progress as a society, we should hold the value of public health over profit as other countries do and conform to paying for healthcare for all, and in turn it will not be as costly as one would think. Not everyone agrees how an ideal government should be run, whether you lean more towards socialism or capitalism, but most can agree the wealth fare of your person is far more valuable than what you have in the bank. Even republican sources that usually support multipayer health care support single-payer due to the benefits. (Healthcare Now). In a recent poll, 48% of Americans had a favorable view of the Affordable Care Act (ACA)-the most significant health policy reform in a generation (Choski)
Not everyone agrees they should pay for the health of another through taxes, but consider the alternative of the high out-of-pocket costs you pay now for your own health care, most would agree for their own benefit to switching to single-payer health care due to cost benefits. 16 percent of American tax dollars are spent on defense and international security assistance (CBPP) Interest on debt: $325 billion or 7.7% of total spending of tax dollars (Herron)
In conclusion, I submit that it is within the next steps of our government to move into the phase of drafting a single-payer type of healthcare. Adopting legislation similar to that of the United Kingdom is in the best interest of the United States Citizens as it will not only improve the overall health of each person as described but will also lessen the financial burden of each citizen. Debt of a person can mean the lack of expenditure of healthcare, and having healthcare being managed by the government will mean more treatment to patients who otherwise could not afford it.
Work Cited
Center of Medicare and Medicaid Services. "Historical." CMS
Chokshi, Dave A. "Changing Minds in Health Policy." Health Policy | JAMA | JAMA Network, 8 Oct. 2019
Healthcare-NOW! "Republicans for Single-Payer?" Healthcare-NOW!, 22 Nov. 2008
Herron, Janna Usa Today. "You Just Cut a Check to the IRS. So What Do Your Taxes Pay For?" USA TODAY, 15 Apr. 2019
CBPP "Policy Basics: Where Do Our Federal Tax Dollars Go?" Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 2020
Rajkumar, S. Vincent. "The High Cost of Insulin in the United States: An Urgent Call to Action." Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 13 Nov. 2019
