Kraken Loc: Barry's Bay

At town hall meetings, conferences, and on the campaign trails, I am often asked: “Why not a public option?” As a physician who cares for patients and families struggling with our current health care “system,” here’s why I want Medicare For All, not a public option or “Medicare for all who want it.”

A public option does not lead to universal health care – or savings.
Back in 2013, the Congressional Budget Office reported that a public option “would have minimal effects … on the number of people who would be uninsured.” That’s cold comfort to the 30 million uninsured today, who are disproportionately poor and working class, and disproportionately people of color.

To make matters worse, a public option will not save us money in health care. Billions of dollars will continue to flow away from needy patients and toward greedy profiteers. With a public option, we can’t join together and push back against Big Pharma to lower prescription drug prices.

Medicare For All achieves colossal savings. By eliminating the private insurance industry’s obstacle courses and busy work, Medicare For All saves over $500 billion a year in administrative spending. Through Medicare For All, we will confront Big Pharma corporations and negotiate on behalf of all 327 million of us, saving $113 billion a year.

A public option adds another fragment to an already ridiculous amount of fragmentation in health care.
Every day, patients and doctors are grappling with endless obstacles from multiple insurance companies. For example, after difficult trial and error, my patients and I find a set of prescriptions to manage a problem like asthma, only to find out that the insurance company no longer covers some of the inhalers prescribed.

My patients with “good” insurance find their network of providers is shrinking. Specialists whom my patients have seen for years are no longer covered. Finding new prescriptions and specialists is time-consuming and puts my patients’ health on the line.

Multiply these problems (and the frustration of receiving timely reimbursements from insurance) across several insurance companies and a doctor’s many, many patients and the cost is staggering: $83,000 per year for the average practice. An American physician spends on average three weeks of every year haggling with insurance companies. A public option just adds one more fragment in an overly fragmented health care system and furthers the prioritization of profits over patients.

Doctors and nurses should spend their time and effort with patients, not paperwork. By eliminating private insurance, Medicare for All ends the costly and time consuming fragmentation of the current healthcare system.

A public option will not stop the greed machines of the insurance industry.
Even with the Affordable Care Act, dire financial consequences remain for those who face a health crisis. Four in 10 Americans struggle to pay premiums, medical bills, or out-of-pocket medical costs. Half of us have a family member who avoids necessary medical care or prescriptions because of cost. Meanwhile, insurance corporations’ profits grow: one company (UnitedHealth) is projected to make over $260 billion in revenue this year.

We have to be real with ourselves about working with insurance companies and Big Pharma. Good-faith partners in our health would not deny patients health care for the sake of profits. Good-faith partners in health would not spend millions of dollars on lobbyists to undermine the provisions and regulations in the Affordable Care Act.

Politicians supporting a public option want it to co-exist with the greed machines of the insurance industry, thinking these multibillion dollar corporations will play fair or wither away quietly. There is no reasoning with the avarice of private insurance corporations. They must be defeated.

For the sake of our patients, more and more health care providers are joining the Medicare for All movement to fight the insurance industry and Big Pharma. Together, we can make health care a human right.

Dr. Sanjeev Sriram is senior adviser to Social Security Works.

https://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/healthcare/485971-3-reasons-doctors-want-medicare-for-all-not-a-public-option

boberic Loc: Quiet Corner, Connecticut. Ex long Islander

Although not a physician or a surgeon, I worked my entire 40 year career working with MD"s of many specialties as well as all of the hospitals (that's right- all) in and around the NY city metropolitan area. What many don't realize is that ALL of smaller community hospitals will simply close as a result of the unintended consequence of Medicare for all. Over that long career about 20 community hospitals and 1 major teaching institution have closed their doors. Why? Reimbursements from medicare and medicaid, do not "pay the bills". The only thing that keeps these hospitals in business (yes hospitals are subject toall the pressures of any business?) is the higher payments of the private insurance companies. So think of this. If you live within about 30 minutes of a major hospital, you have no worries as they can afford to stay open in a medicare/medicaid for all invironment. But if your only hospitalis a smaller community facility, more than 30 minutes away (as do many of us) and have a life threatening emergency, you will be dead before you get to that major hospital ER. Medicare/medicaid for all is a life threatining decision.

soba1 Loc: Somewhere In So Ca

That would be a huge impact on the elderly population I'm guessing?

Elaine2025 Loc: Seattle, Wa

Needing money krackhad, you are racking up the articles on UHH today.

soba1 Loc: Somewhere In So Ca

Gotta get those clicks, besides I don't think the spring thaw has started yet

Kraken Loc: Barry's Bay

Actually my posts have to get at least one click in order for me to be paid and thanks to Elaine I am getting

very rich. 💲

Elaine2025 Loc: Seattle, Wa

Krackhead, I view you as a loser socialist who desperately needs the money to spend 12 hours a day posting lunacy. You and Frim are in a league of your own.

thom w Loc: San Jose, CA

I'm still trying to figure who's sock puppet you are.

Elaine2025 Loc: Seattle, Wa

Waffle head, in order to figure something out, you first have to possess a brain. You don't have one.