Medicare Blog

why we should have medicare for all

by Lenore Heller DVM Published 2 years ago Updated 1 year ago
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Medicare for All allows individuals more flexibility and less stress. With Medicare for All, you can see any doctor that has opted into the program. You no longer need to worry about in network vs. out-of-network providers (which currently make up 18% of hospital admissions). (Kaiser Family Foundation)

A single-payer, universal health care system would reduce anxiety and debt, increase health and happiness, and help the lower and middle classes.May 7, 2020

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Why Medicare for all is the only answer?

May 07, 2020 · Why We Need Medicare for All. A single-payer, universal health care system would reduce anxiety and debt, increase health and happiness, and help the lower and middle classes.

Why is Medicare for all a good idea?

Sep 14, 2017 · The transition to the Medicare for All program would take place over four years. In the first year, benefits to older people would be expanded to include dental care, vision coverage and …

Why Medicare for all is bad?

Jul 27, 2015 · It's to grow it—allowing anyone at any age to join. Medicare's administrative costs are in the range of 3 percent. That's well below the 5 to 10 percent costs borne by large companies that self ...

What is 'Medicare for all' and how would it work?

Feb 07, 2017 · Medicare provides a full range of services. Medicare helps people stay well: The program provides important preventive services and screenings at no charge. Medicare Part B offers a free wellness check-up annually, as well as periodic screenings for cardiovascular disease; cervical, vaginal and breast cancer for women; prostate cancer for men; diabetes; and …

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Why Medicare for all is better than public option?

A public option would leave millions uninsured or underinsured. Only Medicare for All would mean no GoFundMe for health care costs, no more debt from medical care and no more medical bankruptcies. More than 40 million Americans are underinsured, meaning they are unable to afford to use their for-profit insurance.

Why US should have universal healthcare?

Universal healthcare would free small business owners from having to provide coverage while simultaneously enhancing the freedom of the worker. Lifespans could be longer, people could be happier and healthier in systems that are simpler and more affordable.Jul 16, 2021

What are the PROs of universal healthcare?

Under a universal health care system, health practitioners are required to provide the same level of care to every legal citizen. The elimination of profit from the health care industry also eliminates the hierarchy of levels of care based on the ability to pay. Lower costs for both citizens and health care providers.Nov 19, 2021

Should all American be entitled to healthcare?

Providing all citizens the right to health care is good for economic productivity. When people have access to health care, they live healthier lives and miss work less, allowing them to contribute more to the economy. A study by researchers at the…

Should the United States provide free healthcare to all American citizens?

Most agree that if we had universal healthcare in America, we could save lives. A study from Harvard researchers states that not having healthcare causes around 44,789 deaths per year. 44,789 deaths per year means that there is a 40% increased risk of death for people who are uninsured.Dec 4, 2020

What country has the best healthcare system?

South Korea has the best health care systems in the world, that's according to the 2021 edition of the CEOWORLD magazine Health Care Index, which ranks 89 countries according to factors that contribute to overall health.Apr 27, 2021

Why is healthcare a human right?

Among all the rights to which we are entitled, health care may be the most intersectional and crucial. The very frailty of our human lives demands that we protect this right as a public good. Universal health care is crucial to the ability of the most marginalized segments of any population to live lives of dignity.Nov 19, 2018

Which country has free healthcare?

Countries with universal healthcare include Austria, Belarus, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Isle of Man, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom.

Is Medicare Advantage private insurance?

It's even far below the 11 percent costs of private plans under Medicare Advantage , the current private-insurance option under Medicare. Meanwhile, as for-profit insurance companies merge into giant behemoths that reduce consumer choice still further, it's doubly important to make Medicare available to all.

When did Medicare become law?

Medicare turns 50 this week. It was signed into law July 30, 1965 —the crowning achievement of Lyndon Johnson's Great Society. It's more popular than ever. Yet Medicare continues to be blamed for America's present and future budget problems. That's baloney.

Is Medicare shrinking?

The answer isn't to shrink Medicare. It's to grow it—allowing anyone at any age to join. Medicare's administrative costs are in the range of 3 percent. That's well below the 5 to 10 percent costs borne by large companies that self-insure.

What is the administrative cost of Medicare?

Medicare's administrative costs are in the range of 3 percent. That's well below the 5 to 10 percent costs borne by large companies that self-insure. It's even further below the administrative costs of companies in the small-group market (amounting to 25 to 27 percent of premiums). And it's way, way lower than the administrative costs ...

What percentage of healthcare costs are administrative costs?

Meanwhile, administrative costs account for 15 to 30 percent of all health care spending in the United States, twice the rate of most other advanced nations. Most of this is to collect money: Doctors collecting from hospitals and insurers, hospitals collecting from insurers, insurers collecting from companies or policyholders.

What are the benefits of Medicare for All?

It offers more comprehensive benefits than private insurance or Medicare today, including dental, vision, hearing and home and community-based care, along with standard benefits. Medicare for All simplifies the health care system.

What is Medicare for All?

Medicare for All guarantees health care coverage to everyone with no out-of-pocket costs, increasing access to care, promoting equality in our health care system, and eliminating the rationing of care based on ability to pay. It offers more comprehensive benefits than private insurance or Medicare today, including dental, vision, ...

Who wrote Medicare for All?

Written by Diane Archer. As we continue to debate how to move forward on health reform, it’s helpful to understand the key arguments for Medicare for All, a single-payer public health insurance system that would guarantee health care coverage to all Americans.

Does Medicare cover out-of-pocket costs?

Medicare for All guarantees health care coverage to everyone with no out-of-pocket costs, increasing access to care, promoting equality in our health care system, and eliminating the rationing of care based on ability to pay.

How does Medicare help?

It is pushing for better delivery of health care, with initiatives to improve quality and coordination, prevent avoidable readmissions to the hospital and reduce infections caught while at the hospital.

Does Medicare cover health insurance?

Here are some of the many ways Medicare matters: Medicare guarantees affordable health insurance. Before Medicare, almost 1 in 2 older Americans had no health insurance and faced a bleak future if they got seriously ill.

Is Medicare a lifeline?

En español | Virtually all of us benefit from Medicare, directly or indirectly. Medicare is a lifeline that puts health care in reach of millions of older Americans. But it does much more: By helping older Americans stay healthy and independent, Medicare eases a potential responsibility ...

What is Medicare for older people?

Medicare is a lifeline that puts health care in reach of millions of older Americans. But it does much more: By helping older Americans stay healthy and independent, Medicare eases a potential responsibility for younger family members. Knowledge that Medicare's protections will be there when needed brings peace of mind to people as they get older. ...

When was Medicare enacted?

When Medicare was enacted in 1965 nearly 1 in 3 seniors lived in poverty. Older people were more likely to be poor than any other age group. Yet in its first 10 years, Medicare helped cut their poverty rate in half.

What is the purpose of Medicare for All?

The intention of Medicare for All is to allow patients to focus on getting better vs. understanding the complicated matrix of the current healthcare system and costs. ( Medicare for All Act of 2019) Government sponsored healthcare would put a significant burden on the taxpayers.

What is Medicare for All?

Medicare for All allows individuals more flexibility and less stress. With Medicare for All, you can see any doctor that has opted into the program. You no longer need to worry about in network vs. out-of-network providers (which currently make up 18% of hospital admissions).

Is Medicare good for seniors?

The program has remained popular, with six in ten Americans saying that Medicare is working well for most seniors.

When was Medicare for All introduced?

MEDICARE FOR ALL: In April, the Medicare for All Act of 2019 was introduced in the Senate. Since then many other versions of the bill have been discussed amongst political leaders and 2020 presidential candidates. Please note that the remainder of this article focuses specifically on the bill introduced in April.

When did Medicare become law?

Notably in 1965 President Lyndon Johnson signed Medicare into law. The original plan included a “Hospital Insurance” (part A) and “Medical Insurance” (part B). Over the years more people have become eligible and additional benefits have been added.

Who spoke about Medicare for All?

It’s the only way to achieve universal, affordable and high-quality health insurance. Senator Bernie Sanders spoke about Medicare for All during a September health care rally in California. Credit... Ms. Day is a staff writer at Jacobin, where Mr. Sunkara is editor.

Is health care a business?

A growing majority of Americans agree: Health care shouldn’t be a business. They’re finally coming around to the idea that it can and should be a public good instead — something we can all turn to when the need arises. The favorite right-wing argument against Medicare for All — the most popular approach to universal, ...

Who is David Leonhardt?

David Leonhardt, the newsletter’s author, is on a break until Aug. 27. While he’s gone, several outside writers are taking his place. This week’s authors are Meagan Day, a writer for the socialist magazine Jacobin, and Bhaskar Sunkara, the magazine’s editor.

What percentage of Americans support Medicare?

Though the exact number depends on the poll and the way the question is asked, a slim majority of Americans— 51 percent —now support Medicare for All, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation poll. Many moderate Democrats and most conservatives remain staunchly opposed to any kind of single-payer plan.

Is Medicare for All a single payer?

But Medicare for All—otherwise known as single-payer health care— has taken on an astonishing popularity among Democrats and independents in recent years, rising from a fringe, socialist hobbyhorse to a policy seriously and frequently considered during the Democratic primary debates.

Who is the president of PNHP?

Adam Gaffney, the president of PNHP, told me he attributes the popularity of single-payer to advocacy by his and other groups, to the continuing high cost of medical care, and to the rise of politicians who are willing to be out and proud about government-run health care.

Who is Jessica Neeley?

Jessica Neeley, of Veneta, Oregon, was a bookkeeper for the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America for four years before a pulmonary embolism and Addison’s disease left her unable to work last year. She said when she first heard about Medicare for All, during the 2016 campaign, her ears “perked up.”.

Who is Ben Fong?

Ben Fong, who is on the executive committee of the Phoenix DSA as well as the steering committee of the Democratic Socialists of America’s national Medicare for All campaign , thinks insurers’ profits are to blame. “What the ACA has failed to deal with is the profit motive,” Fong told me.

What is Medicare for All?

Medicare for All is a proposed new healthcare system for the United States where instead of people getting health insurance from an insurance company, often provided through their workplace, everyone in America would be on a program provided through the federal government. It has become a favorite of progressives, ...

Is Medicare for All single payer?

Medicare for All is effectively single-payer healthcare. Single-payer health care is where the government pays for people’s health care. The new name just makes the concept more popular. A Kaiser Family Foundation poll found that 48% of people approved of single-payer healthcare, while 62% of people approved of Medicare for All.

Why is universal healthcare important?

Pros. Universal healthcare lowers health care costs for the economy overall, since the government controls the price of medication and medical services through regulation and negotiation.

How does universal healthcare affect the economy?

Universal healthcare lowers health care costs for the economy overall , since the government controls the price of medication and medical services through regulation and negotiation. It would also eliminate the administrative cost of working with multiple private health insurers.

Who introduced the Medicare at 50 Act?

Lawmakers have introduced other Medicare expansion options, which would be much more limited than Medicare for All. Senators Debbie Stabenow (D- Michigan), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisconsin) introduced the Medicare at 50 Act in February of 2019.

Does Bernie Sanders support Medicare for All?

Though Bernie Sanders’ (D-Vermont) version of Medicare for All would eventually eliminate all other forms of insurance, other Democratic candidates have varying degrees of support and versions of Medicare for All as a universal healthcare system.

Is HSA good for health?

Tips for Keeping Your Finances Healthy. A health savings account (HSA) may be a good option for younger people who are worried about potential healthcare costs. HSAs can greatly reduce monthly premiums. Whatever the outcome on Medicare for All, it is important to keep yourself physically and financially healthy.

Is universal health care a right?

With a universal health care program like Medicare for All, health insurance would be a right instead of a job perk, and no one would have lost their insurance in the middle of the pandemic. While the United States spends heavily on lucrative industries like insurance, hospitals and pharma, only a tiny fraction of our health spending goes toward ...

Is healthcare the most expensive in the world?

America's health care system is the most expensive in the world, accounting for nearly 18% of overall gross domestic product. It is also a business, which means that hospitals have to remain profitable to remain open, always conscious of the bottom line.

Why was Biden elected?

President Joe Biden was elected on a platform that focuses on improving the Affordable Care Act, but the ACA left tens of millions of Americans uninsured in the middle of a pandemic and millions more afraid to get care if they got sick.

Will health insurance increase in 2020?

On the other side of the health care industry sits health insurance. With many patients avoiding care during the pandemic — elective or otherwise — insurance companies haven't had to fork over as many reimbursements, and as a result their profits appear to have increased in 2020.

Who is Micah Johnson?

Micah Johnson is a resident physician at Brigham & Women's Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. They are co-authors of "Medicare for All: A Citizen's Guide.". The opinions expressed in this commentary are their own. While the pandemic has put immense stress on nearly every country's health care system, no country — and certainly no other high-income ...

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