I have been feeling a bit deflated lately that the current healthcare proposal is getting watered down and held up in committee. I was really optimistic about Obama passing a universal healthcare plan that saved Medicare, covered all Americans and reduced the cost of premiums paid by private policy holders.
Unfortunately without major cost control it will be impossible to achieve ANY of these goals. The latest bill, with a cost over 1 trillion over 10 years, puts us more in debt.
FRONTLINE: SICK AROUND THE WORLD
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It would seem single payer is the only true cost control solution so without it I have lost confidence that we will actually FIX health care. After thinking about it more I am wondering if the "public option" is really an opportunity to convert the bill (after passage) into a single payer option if needed.
I would imagine if the single payer option becomes less expensive then private insurance employers would definitely select this for employees over private plans. With a public plan that had tens if not a hundred million people on it would make the government negotiating for services much easier. This could be the next best thing to cost control.
Anyway, I was online doing some research and came across an old Frontline episode that focused on healthcare in other industrial countries back in 2008. It renewed my spirits that even if this bill passes and it is not the "perfect" bill, that one day with the modified/improved "public option" we could achieve what some of these other countries have.
Take a look at the FrontLine episode, if you don't have time for the full hour I thought Japan was the most interesting.
I actually hate the comparison by the Republicans of the Canadian Healthcare system with the "wait times". It is true, they are having a national debate in Canada on wait times so it is hard to defend other than to say Canadia spends 1/2 of what we pay so they suffer in service. When discussing healthcare with friends I always refer to the Japanese model NOT the Canadian.
FRONTLINE: SICK AROUND THE WORLD