February 9
Is Medicare For All the Cure
As health care reform takes center stage in our country, experts weigh in on the best ways to accomplish the task of improving the quality and efficiency of health care. Many point the finger of blame at private, for-profit health insurance companies for the skyrocketing costs of health care. They say that administrative costs consume roughly 30% of spending and accounts for a lot of inefficiency and waste. A Medicare-for-all type program, maintained by the government and not by private, for-profit insurance companies, would feature automatic enrollment, comprehensive coverage, provider choice, administration performed by a public or non-profit agency, and other improvements. Is this type of system possible, or just a pipe dream? What limitations would be inherent in such a system? Would people really have the same level of choice and control that they do now?