BY TERRY BUTLER
If it is true, as Marty Richman says, that where we stand is where we will sit, then we can tell by his words that Marty stands firmly with the Republican Party and the HMOs in their fear based campaign to dominate the debate on Universal Health Care with their own talking points. If, however, you choose to stand with a reasoned examination of the facts you will find something quite different.
A single-payer system provides for one entity to administer all costs of health care as opposed to thousands of HMOs, each with different standards of coverage and hundreds of different methods of billing, and most importantly, the obligation to turn a profit for their shareholders by keeping the costs of coverage down. This is most often accomplished by denying care at a time when it is needed most through the invocation of rules regarding preexisting conditions or of treatment being deemed not standard. We’ve all heard stories from our friends and families that illustrate these facts. Single-payer eliminates insurance companies from the system. No wonder they and compromised Congress members both Republican and Democrat, will fight tooth and nail to keep it from becoming reality.
The main principle of a single-payer system is the tried and true one of the creation of a vast pool of insured members sharing costs equally. When the costs of care for one member climb beyond a point where she can afford them, that care will be provided by the contributions of other, healthier members who are not currently in need. When you pay a premium to an HMO you are paying to an insurance policy from a company who will then negotiate your care with doctors, hospitals, labs and pharmacies, but when you contribute to a single-payer system you are paying for actual health care to be used when you need it.
Marty is correct when he states that a new health care system will be expensive. That is the main reason we need to begin bringing these costs down with implementation of a system designed to care for sick people, not the insurance companies bottom line. He is also correct when he states that it is a complex issue. You can begin by typing single payer versus HMO costs into your Web browser, and while you’re there, look up SB810, The California Universal Health Care Act (Leno).
Terry Butler is a Hollister resident.
