Medicare for All (M4A) is a national, non-profit health insurance program that fully covers comprehensive healthcare for every American.
It's a common-sense solution to the lack of affordable and accessible healthcare rampant in our country. In Congress, I would be honored to be a subject-matter expert on this crucial initiative.
This plan, a single-payer system where you decide who your medical provider is and what clinic you go to, would save lives and save $500 billion annually, mainly by reducing administrative costs.
Medicare, like the VA, runs efficiently with administrative costs of around 2%, compared to insurance companies' 12-18%. None of that spending does anything to help you stay healthy and solve your medical problems.
With these savings, we could transform our communities.
We could fund subsidized child care, provide early childhood education for all 3—and 4-year-olds, increase funding for housing initiatives, and offer prepaid postsecondary training and education for all Americans. There would be enough left over for other initiatives, including paying off the national debt, border security, or reducing taxes.
Here are some of the major problems that Medicare for All can address, which private insurance can't:
Everybody is covered, and nobody is left out from birth to death.
You have peace of mind knowing you can receive healthcare whenever needed, regardless of your circumstances—no more surprise bills, out-of-network concerns, or staying in a lousy job just for the benefits.
Healthcare justice for the entire nation, meaning no one will be uninsured or underinsured.
You have the ultimate freedom to choose your medical provider, clinic, or hospital without worrying about out-of-network concerns.
It will cost less than our current system, end medical debt and bankruptcies, and reduce administrative waste by $500 billion annually.
Businesses will no longer struggle to provide insurance to their employees and can focus on their core mission. Lower health costs make businesses more competitive domestically and internationally, making it easier to start a new business without the complications, expenses, and worries of obtaining employee insurance benefits.
Corporations will no longer profit off the sick, and pharmaceutical companies will no longer be able to price gouge.
Healthcare professionals will no longer incur the cost of dealing with so many different plans, rules, and forms.
Power to negotiate pricing for medications,
Preventive care and timely intervention can keep health problems from developing or worsening, making the need for expensive treatment less likely.
Provide access to home and community-based care for all who need it.
Guarantee coverage for dental, vision, and hearing services.
Eliminate co-payments, deductibles, and premiums.
Cover long-term care.
Increase payments to medical providers.
Save rural hospitals.
Medicare for All (M4A) is a single-payer health system for everyone in the U.S. It could save $500 billion annually. Here's how:
Less Paperwork and Administrative Costs
Current System: Many private insurers mean lots of paperwork and different rules, with private insurers spending about 12-18% on administrative costs.
Medicare for All: One system reduces paperwork and administrative expenses to about 2%, saving around $200 billion annually.
Lower Costs for Doctors and Hospitals
Current System: Doctors and hospitals spend a lot of money dealing with multiple insurance companies. They must hire staff to handle different billing codes, pre-authorizations, and payment disputes.
Medicare for All: Only one insurance to deal with means simpler billing processes, fewer disputes, and less need for administrative staff. This can save doctors and hospitals another $100 billion a year.
Cheaper Medicines
Current System: Drug prices are high because private insurers can't negotiate well.
Medicare for All: The government can negotiate lower drug prices, saving about $100 billion a year.
Better Health Information Sharing
Current System: Many different systems mean doctors can't easily share patient info.
Medicare for All: One system makes sharing info easy, saving $50 billion annually.
More Preventive Care
Current System: People avoid preventive care due to cost, leading to expensive treatments later.
Medicare for All: Everyone can afford preventive care, saving $50 billion a year.
Total Savings
By reducing paperwork and administrative costs, lowering costs for doctors and hospitals, negotiating drug prices, improving information sharing, and increasing preventive care, we can save $500 billion a year.
Comments