Endorsing A Single-Payer Health Care System

That change is necessary in a failing healthcare system is evident. When it is endorsed by 124,000 physicians which is what the American College of Physicians comprises of, it is perhaps imperative.

Thanks to an increase in administrative costs, healthcare costs continue spiraling upwards. Access to healthcare is getting worse and there are fewer and fewer primary-care physicians. This is why the ACP is backing this whole idea of a single-payer health care system. Congressman Dennis Kucinich who co-authored HR 676 or Medicare for All was very pleased with the support extended to this new healthcare reform by this large body of medical personnel. The bill, which was introduced in the beginning of 2007 has 86 cosponsors.

HR 676 or Medicare for All seems to be the only plan that looks at all three issues regarding healthcare – accessibility, cost and quality. The great thing is that the plan envisages insuring every American and ensuring they get the care prescribed by their doctors and yet the same amount of money would be spent as is being done now on healthcare.

What HR 676 hope to achieve is to see that every American is covered for every possible medical care like hospital, surgical, outpatient services, dental, mental health, primary and preventive care, home health, physical therapy, rehabilitation (including for substance abuse), emergency services, vision care, chiropractic, long term care as well as, of course, prescription drugs.

And how can this be done? Well, by getting rid of the HMOs as well as the private health insurance industry. This would, it is argued, save billions that could go towards a ‘healthcare for all’ objective. In the present scenario, over 50 million Americans are not insured and the number of people who are uninsured runs into millions.