MedPage Today October 22, 2019
Hint: Nobody has “Medicare for All”
Recent polls show a majority of Americans support Medicare for All, but few seem to realize that no other system in the world operates like the current single-payer proposals in Congress. I addressed the concept of single-payer healthcare, with Cuba’s system as an example. Today I’m writing more about the ideas being discussed now in our country and how those compare to other nations that provide some type of universal care.
There are four significant misconceptions about universal health care systems that should be addressed:
1. Most universal health care systems are not highly centralized
2. Most universal coverage systems offer narrow benefit packages and incorporate cost-sharing for patients
3. Private health insurance plays...