Only 19% of Medicare beneficiaries pay the 20% coinsurance. Private insurance makes up most of the difference. No plan approved by congress is going to allow people with income and financial resources to get totally free healthcare. Neither democrats nor republicans would approve such a plan and that means there will still be a place for insurance even with single payer.An Aspirin in a Hospital cost like $30. Not because some Insurance company is milking the profits. But because part of the cost of the Aspirin is providing healthcare to people who don't pay what it cost. Medicare and Medicaid recipients, illegal immigrants and the general poor. Those who pay, pay more because of those who don't pay.Taking the profit motive out of providing health insurance to people doesn't mean students will stop studying life sciences -- can you show me anywhere among the other developed countries in the world where people have just stopped learning about organic chemistry??
Why do you feel it is necessary for private insurance companies to make billions for their shareholders at the expense of the consumers is the only way we can insure kids will grow up to want to study biology or chemistry?
You are correct. Right now, with Medicare only choosing to pay 80% of the cost of care, that means private insurance is getting charged more to take up the difference. If there's no private insurance, then what? Is the expense of providing the services going to go down just because the government decides it's not going to pay that much?
Also consider that most states use insurance companies to provide coverage for their Medicaid clients and 35% of all Medicare beneficiaries have assigned their Medicare benefits to an insurance company that provides a MedAdvantage insurance plan. No matter what happens insurance companies are going to be around for a long long time.
Exactly. People who think "Medicare for All" will remove insurance companies from the equation are kidding themselves. All it does is remove the consumer's ability to say "no" to insurance companies. It's the individual mandate with even less choice for the consumer. The government gives your money to the insurance companies directly.
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