A suggestion for single-payer advocates

[ccr1138.livejournal.com]

I have a friend who is a pediatrician and a strong advocate for government-run, single-payer health insurance. To her and all her friends who have formed an organization to fight for socialized medicine, I say this:

If you truly believe in single payer, why not set up your practice now so you ONLY take Medicaid patients? This is a serious suggestion; I’m not trying to be snide. Medicaid patients have an extremely difficult time finding doctors because the government doesn’t pay very much for those services. But if we went to single-payer, EVERYBODY would be like a Medicaid patient. If you truly think that’s best, and you’re willing to take lower compensation for your work for the public good, why not start now? You could significantly reduce your paperwork and staff requirements because you wouldn’t have to hassle with all the different providers. It would be a win/win, and it would be ethically consistent with your stance against private insurance.

My doctor in Canada said he received $8 for a patient visit. That’s Canadian dollars, mind you. Do you think that would work for you?

Comments

[merig00.livejournal.com]

Considering that some 60 years ago Israel operated on kibutz system and celebrated Stalin's birthday - they went a long way to where they are now. Also with their amazing system just this year they had to cut down on drugs benefits in order to increase dental coverage. And even with low population they have 2 month waiting periods...

Lower I posted some numbers on Obama and Biden charitable contribution. Bidens dosn't even contribute 1% of their income to charity.
http://community.livejournal.com/talk_politics/455826.html?thread=32366994#t32366994

[mijan.livejournal.com]

And if the Bush and Cheney families weren't already oil tycoons with assets that make the Obamas and Bidens look like paupers, your numbers might make me blink. But the Bush and Cheney families are filthy rich in a way that neither Obama nor Biden has ever dreamed of being, so regardless of what Georgie's and Dick's incomes were during those years, their established fortunes were far greater.

And you still didn't adequately address what I pointed out about Israel - that their health care system is absolutely SOCIALIST. And they rely on socialist contributions from the United States. Oh yes, the USA is happy to give "charity" to other nations so those other countries can afford... (drumroll, please)... UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE. And yet we won't pay for that for our own citizens.

Hypocrisy at its most disgusting.

[merig00.livejournal.com]

Uhm the only money Israel is getting from USA is to purchase weapons from *gasp* USA. And as I pointed out Israel is moving away from socialism. Look at Europe - they are slowly introducing private options in health care. And only USA is regressing.

[ccr1138.livejournal.com]

Come on. Look at the PERCENTAGES again. Which party gives lip service to helping the poor, and which party actually contributes their own funds to charity? Pathetic.

[dwer.livejournal.com]

this is the sort of flawed thinking that leads people to think that a flat-tax is fair.

[ccr1138.livejournal.com]

LOL. I'm an evangelist for the flat tax, too.

And you call ME a socialist? Pooh. I'm a libertarian progressive conservative progressive anarchist.

[dwer.livejournal.com]

two progressives in one description? You realize that makes them cancel each-other out.

Conservatives =/= anarchist.

[ccr1138.livejournal.com]

Ah, I see you are humor-impaired as well. My apologies. I'll try to keep your disability in mind for the future.