What percent of GDP is spent on healthcare?

[lumberjack_jeff]

16. A good idea, but for the math.

How does single payer instantly reduce 17.9% of GDP to 8.5%? Further, how do you spread that 8.5% of SS taxable wages (call it 4-5% of gdp) among the people who don't work? At worst, 15% or so of that 17.9% is spent on actual care after subtracting the inefficiency of insurance.

In this country there are roughly as many people in the workforce as out. Unlike Social Security whose revenues only need to pay for retirees and the disabled, the health care tax receipts would have to cover the above PLUS those kids and those who don't have jobs.

Second, the system you describe is regressive. If you make $220,000 per year, you are only half as financially responsible (as a percentage of your income) for the care of those who don't work.

Single payer healthcare should be paid for via regular income taxes, and because it would require doubling income taxes, it'll give widespread sticker shock.

Hopefully the ACA will suppress the inflation rate enough that the transition to single payer will be less painful.