Dear Tennessee Star,
During the U.S. Senate debate I was glad to see Congressman Marsha Blackburn speak out against single payer healthcare. Being in the healthcare industry professionally since 1980 and now as a health consultant focused on health care legislation and helping companies and individuals navigate health care costs, pricing and affordability and keeping legislators informed from the provider perspective of the hindrances to care as a result of government intrusion – I know that single payer health care has disastrous implications.
Obamacare has taken us in the wrong direction since 2010 – limiting access to plans, skyrocketing double digit cost increases each year, a diminishing individual marketplace, disappearing insurance plans and greatly reducing provider choice – it has been in direct contradiction to the two promises given to the American Healthcare consumer – If you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor, and it will reduce the costs to consumers.
It is unfortunate that many mainstream Democrats are taking a bad idea and setting the stage to make matters much worse. Now many Democrats support Senator Bernie Sanders’ proposal to nationalize our health care system via single payer – also known as “Medicare for All.” In reality, single payer would cancel out all private insurance and move everyone, including the 160 million Americans that receive health insurance through their job, onto a federal government-run health care system in the mold of the United Kingdom’s “National Health Service.” This is a step in the absolute wrong direction that limits access to care, causes wait lists for care, inferior outcomes and rationing of care. (This statement is not just opinion, it is based on example, after example, after documented example of similar systems).
In addition to poorer care, there is the fiscal impact of socialized medicine. Reputable think tanks on both sides of the political spectrum estimate that Bernie Sanders’ plan would cost approximately $32-35 trillion over the next decade. Our federal government would have to double our current tax rates to pay for this new government program.
Marsha stated, “We know that when Chuck Schumer and Democrats try to push single payer government-run health care, that Phil will be right there with them supporting government-run single payer health care and it will take half of your taxes to pay for that.”
Voters should support Congressman Marsha Blackburn for Senate. Marsha will advocate for free-market principles in the Senate. It’s also vitally important that Republicans maintain control of the Senate in order for Senator Lamar Alexander to maintain his Chairmanship on the Senate HELP (Health, Education, Labor and Pensions) Committee. The HELP Committee deals with health care issues and we need a Chairman who will oppose socialized medicine and instead advocate for free-market patient-centered reforms that are actually in the best interest of Americans.
Sincerely,
Patsy Writesman
Health Care Speaker and Consultant
http://www.ManageHealthCareCosts.com
What about basic health care, not elective surgeries? Costs are going up, not down. Do you think we’re stupid? People aren’t going to the doctor when they have a medical problem because they think it’s too expensive. By the time they finally go to the Dr. it’s often too late to do anything. I’m scared.
Ms. Writesman, is correct. Look at the cost trajectory of “elective” surgeries, such as liposuction, breast augmentation, vision correction or cosmetic dentistry over the past 30 years. Free market forces have cut the costs of these procedures by 50% or more. Any time the government and insurers work together costs rise dramatically. Single payer in any form is madness.