The Question That Single-Payer Medicare for All Advocates Need to Answer
You are probably thinking that question is, How are you going to pay for it?
Ultimately, yes.
But, I will suggest there is another critically important issue that is part of the overall question about how it will be paid for––What will your plan do to our existing health care system?
Medicare and Medicaid cost less than commercial insurance because Medicare and Medicaid pay providers––doctors, hospitals, and other health care providers–– a lot less for their services.
Advocates argue their single-payer Medicare for all health care system will overall cost us all a lot less. They are right that their systems can be a lot less expensive by expanding Medicare to everyone––primarily because government payment rates are so much smaller.
But here's the hitch––paying Medicare rates on behalf of all patients would literally bankrupt the system we have.
