18 January 2016

Here's Bernie's single-payer health care plan

Frequent readers of Flathead Memo generally know that I favor what I’ve called American Care: an everyone covered for everything, zero dollar (no deductibles or copays) federal single-payer system financed by progressive taxation.

Yesterday, Bernie Sanders released the details of his health care plan. These two paragraphs summarize the heart of his proposal. I would have been proud to have written them.

Better coverage. Bernie’s plan would create a federally administered single-payer health care program. Universal single-payer health care means comprehensive coverage for all Americans. Bernie’s plan will cover the entire continuum of health care, from inpatient to outpatient care; preventive to emergency care; primary care to specialty care, including long-term and palliative care; vision, hearing and oral health care; mental health and substance abuse services; as well as prescription medications, medical equipment, supplies, diagnostics and treatments. Patients will be able to choose a health care provider without worrying about whether that provider is in-network and will be able to get the care they need without having to read any fine print or trying to figure out how they can afford the out-of-pocket costs.

What it means for patients. As a patient, all you need to do is go to the doctor and show your insurance card. Bernie’s plan means no more copays, no more deductibles and no more fighting with insurance companies when they fail to pay for charges.

The Affordable Care Act can be a bridge to Bernie’s affordable single-payer system that covers everyone. At last night’s debate, Hillary Clinton said Bernie’s idea was bad. Why? Because it wasn’t her idea. Because she’s cozied up to private health insurance companies too long. If Hillary had been FDR’s secretary of labor instead of Frances Perkins, Social Security would be a private pension plan tied to the stock market.

Hillary keeps calling herself a Democrat. I keep wondering why.