Some hopeful news. A new bill is being drafted which would allow a clear path for states to develop their very own single-payer, universal health care plans. Representative McDermott (D-Washington) is currently planning to introduce the bill next week, although it would be an uphill battle to get it through the Republican-controlled House.
If this were passed and if states like California passed a universal health care bill, the funds currently allocated to states for Medicare and Medicaid would then be redirected into a state-run public insurance pool. Gone would be the constitutional issues the Affordable Care Act is currently facing, and gone would be the problems most Americans face with securing affordable, comprehensive insurance in an unsteady job market. The vast majority of studies show that states would save a significant amount of money with the implementation of single-payer healthcare plans, and would actually help business growth as much of the employer health insurance burden would be diminished. This would be a significant step towards a more fiscally responsible state government and a win for states' rights advocates.
The LA Times article is here.
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
One in Four Americans Went Without Healthcare in 2011
A recent study indicated that one in four Americans went without health insurance sometime in 2011, giving a total uninsured count of around 48 million people. The scary thing is, more than 40 percent of those who lost insurance had been covered by employer-sponsored plans. Nobody's healthcare in the US is secure, unless one is on Medicare or the VA, which are single-payer systems. In a country where we spend more money than any other country per person on healthcare, when a full quarter of all citizens go without it is a clear indicator of a severe problem of systemic deficiencies in healthcare distribution.
The article is here.
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