Quote:
Originally Posted by rahl
A single payer system would eliminate premiums, but it will raise taxes so it's a wash either way. You can't get something for nothing.
The only way to truely reduce costs is to be healthier as a nation(if you have a choice) Eliminate medicaid, and all the abuses that people take advantage of. And you may or may not like this next statement, but if you skip out on a medical bill, your assets should be seized. Far too often people go the the ER with no intention of paying their bill, for totally trivial problems, or for drug seeking.
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As we've discussed elsewhere, single payer systems are not a "wash." They are actually significantly cheaper to run due to reduced overhead costs, which are right now about a third of all medical costs in the US.
As for reducing costs, being healthier is not an independent variable. Good access to preventive care, for example, greatly reduces those needless ER trips.
And there is no comparison to auto insurance. Auto insurance is for exceptional circumstances (theft, accidents, etc.) and doesn't deal with preventive care and the inevitable issues related to aging. Some people never get involved in a car accident. Everyone gets sick, needs preventive care, and eventually die. A system where it is more efficient to compete by excluding certain conditions and age groups is, on the macro level, less efficient than one that pools everyone.
By the way, the majority of the uninsured are not high risk. They are mostly under or unemployed 19 to 34 year olds.