This letter is in response to Dave Mordo’s Aug. 6 commentary on why a single-payer healthcare system would be a “nightmare” for Americans. The first thing one needs to look at is who Mr. Mordo is employed by. He is the Legislative Council Chair for the National Association of Health Underwriters. When we see the words health underwriters in his title we understand better his resistance to not just a single-payer healthcare system but also to any change in the status quo. Change is hard for all of us but it is especially hard when your livelihood may be jeopardized in some way. Why would anyone in the current big pharmaceuticals or big insurance companies want to change to a single-payer healthcare system? Obviously it would affect their paycheck directly.
But let’s look at Mr. Mordo’s letter as if he didn’t have a huge stake in keeping things exactly as they are. There are multiple inaccuracies in his statements. One statement he makes is that “single-payer systems control costs primarily by limiting access to healthcare.” He further declares that “in the United Kingdom’s National Health Service, 5 million patients will languish on waiting lists for non-emergency surgeries, such as hip replacements, by 2019.” While I give him credit for the tried and true tactic of scaring seniors the reality is far less grim as Mr. Mordo likely knows. In the U.K. 93.4 percent of patients were admitted , transferred or discharged from accident and emergency within 4 hours of arrival. This is below the NHS standard of 95 percent but I would challenge anyone who has ever spent time in an ER in the U.S. to come up with better results.
It’s important to look at some apples and oranges differences when comparing U.S. healthcare with all other countries that have single-payer: in the U.S. you can pick and choose which doctor to see and what date/time you wish to see him/her. In single-payer systems you are told what date/time to come in and your doctor is chosen for you. In the U.S. it is likely you will wait at length in a waiting room to see the doctor of your choice at the time of your choosing while single-payer systems run on time.
There are so many issues that need to be addressed in Mr. Mordo’s letter that it would take an entire op-ed page but one other important point needs to be made. Mr. Mordo states that, if American’s were to get a single-payer system, “patients and taxpayers would experience nightmares of rationed care, reduced innovation, and economic devastation.” This is just flat-out untrue. Every other civilized country have universal healthcare. These countries are receiving better care at lesser cost. Some in the insurance industry or big pharmaceuticals may not care for a change to a single-payer system but the rest of the world has proved time and again that the rest of us would benefit immensely.
It is past time that the U.S. join the rest of the single-payer world and contrary to what large insurance companies, insurance executives and big pharmaceuticals want us to believe we will not experience “nightmares” but rather a dream come true. The current healthcare system in the U.S. is failing its citizens. Let’s try something new, let’s try coverage for everyone. Let’s learn lessons from other countries and improve upon their success. It is past time.
Date:Aug 26, 2017