The Eugene City Council voted 6-1 on April 19 for a resolution to support a bill, Senate Bill 1046, establishing a single payer health care system. Though that bill has already been put to rest for this year, it will certainly continue to be a live option for the Legislature in upcoming sessions. The council is doing well.
The experience of other countries is very strong that costs will be less, overall, with single payer. This would significantly reduce city and state spending and everyone else’s. At least as important will be the more coherent medical practice made possible by single payer. Coherence is defined as “to be logically consistent so that all the separate parts fit together and add up to a harmonious whole.” Our current approach to medicine is woefully fragmented and incoherent.
Although American politicians say “We have the best health care system in the world,” the evidence contradicts that. We don’t have even close to the best outcomes, measured by infant mortality or life expectancy. And it means we don’t have the best practice.
When we shift our efforts and motivations from “How do we charge for that?” to “How do we provide the best care for everyone?” we will be promoting coherence and better practice.
Single payer health systems all over the world have proven the advantages of coherence. When we make the change to single payer, we will be making a huge stride for quality of life and care for all of us.
Date:May 10, 2017