General Discussion

MineralMan

(151,287 posts)

111. The primaries no longer matter. Truly they do not.

Wed Oct 26, 2016, 03:31 PM

Oct 2016

The candidates for each party are now known. Others are no longer candidates.

I support a single payer healthcare system, but realize that we are no closer to it than we were in 2009. It might be conceivably possible to begin allowing people who are 50+ in age to buy into Medicare. That would be a reasonable start toward single payer. However, a nationwide single-payer system is not going to happen until we elect powerful Democratic majorities in both houses of Congress who will work with a Democratic President to push a single payer program through.

You are correct. Bernie Sanders supported such a system, but would not have been able to make it happen. The reality is that no President right now could make it happen.

In any case, Sanders is not the candidate now. He is a Senator from Vermont, just as he has been for some time. His opinion on this matter is no longer relevant to the current election.

The primaries are over.

Edit history

Please sign in to view edit histories.

Recommendations

0 members have recommended this reply (displayed in chronological order):

150 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

The only way to control soaring healthcare costs is to have single payer [View all] Yavin4 Oct 2016 OP

The only way to control healthcare costs is to get insurance companies pbmus Oct 2016 #1

This is only 10% of the cost, the rest of it is doctors, pharma and hospital corps... uponit7771 Oct 2016 #11

They charge so much because Foggyhill Oct 2016 #29

Good point and prolly why my HCI wouldn't pay for this medicine... if the HCI's pushed back on the uponit7771 Oct 2016 #30

the word is PROBABLY Skittles Oct 2016 #99

Without taking the whole system down? How do you propose do that? ehrnst Oct 2016 #28

ooh ooh let's think small ellennelle Oct 2016 #84

It's called realistic goals, and acknowledging what is and is not likely. ehrnst Oct 2016 #112

"Realistic goals" is why we're in the mess we're in. "Single payer is off the table," remember that? Doremus Oct 2016 #154

Insurance companies don't charge $141,300 for dual knee replacement. Doctors and hospitals do. lumberjack_jeff Oct 2016 #97

Not really. Act_of_Reparation Oct 2016 #113

The poster to whom I'm replying was arguing that ins. companies should be removed from the equation lumberjack_jeff Oct 2016 #118

I'm not sure I follow. Act_of_Reparation Oct 2016 #138

The $140k was the billed amount lumberjack_jeff Oct 2016 #141

Tthe insurance companies already set the rates. Act_of_Reparation Oct 2016 #144

I have been saying what you posted for years having been a controller upaloopa Oct 2016 #129

Get the insurance companies out of there.. annabanana Oct 2016 #2

Health insurance should be viewed similar to a fire department. Yavin4 Oct 2016 #3

I used to volunteer with a fire department Travis_0004 Oct 2016 #7

Understood, but that model is not pratical in most urban areas in America n/t Yavin4 Oct 2016 #9

I'm getting tired of pointing out the obvious on this, but I'll do it again mythology Oct 2016 #135

That's not the only issue. Medicare costs are rising, too, pnwmom Oct 2016 #59

no no no ellennelle Oct 2016 #78

Both Canada and Switzerland have a mixture of public and private plans pnwmom Oct 2016 #83

um, yes; it will ellennelle Oct 2016 #90

Drug prices are regulated in other countries too TexasBushwhacker Oct 2016 #95

Right. And Medicare's rising costs are largely due to high drug prices here. n/t pnwmom Oct 2016 #96

And Congress decided Medicare can't negotiate drug prices TexasBushwhacker Oct 2016 #102

Worse than stupid. n/t pnwmom Oct 2016 #104

I wonder though. Insurance companies are rotten, but so are some healthcare providers OKNancy Oct 2016 #6

that is NOT the provider ellennelle Oct 2016 #81

I would think it would be easy safeinOhio Oct 2016 #8

If only it was that easy Yavin4 Oct 2016 #10

And there's a lot of distrust B2G Oct 2016 #12

The only path for single payer is for employers to stop offering health insurance as a benefit. Yavin4 Oct 2016 #15

And then what happens to people when they lose their insurance? ehrnst Oct 2016 #23

Creating a Public Option today would be the first step Yavin4 Oct 2016 #26

I agree. Incremental steps are going to be the best way - but tell that to people ehrnst Oct 2016 #31

it's not about selling out ellennelle Oct 2016 #82

Because the majority of Americans get their health care through their employers Yavin4 Oct 2016 #108

Agreed. There is so much more involved than people think. (nt) ehrnst Oct 2016 #115

It is easy.... CanSocDem Oct 2016 #18

Since 1980, Americans have been opened to being preyed upon economically Yavin4 Oct 2016 #22

My theory.... CanSocDem Oct 2016 #36

A hurdle that big means that it's *not* easy, and it's not the only hurdle. ehrnst Oct 2016 #32

America's heath care theme song DemInND Oct 2016 #46

Thank you - if it was that easy, it would have been done a long time ago. (nt) ehrnst Oct 2016 #21

Medicare already has this worked out. colorado_ufo Oct 2016 #41

Medicare was launched for a limited part of the population, with the costs hidden ehrnst Oct 2016 #64

We have one of those right here. colorado_ufo Oct 2016 #145

Medicare is not 'single payer' - it involves private payers for Rx and things like hearing aids ehrnst Oct 2016 #146

Single payer would NOT break up people's relationship with their doctors. subterranean Oct 2016 #48

I'm at a loss as to how a single payer system might jeopardize one's doctor choice. lumberjack_jeff Oct 2016 #98

Taiwan did exactly that. Guess who they chose to copy? IronLionZion Oct 2016 #44

Single Payer with strong price controls built in... JCMach1 Oct 2016 #14

So, how do we do that? (nt) ehrnst Oct 2016 #24

I guess we begin by MAKING NOISE Auggie Oct 2016 #38

+1, the HC community would take a huge hit at first ... doctors, pharma and Hospital groups would .. uponit7771 Oct 2016 #45

Hear! Hear! Revive H.R. 676! Roland99 Oct 2016 #17

There should be a push for this at the state level. No good reason why blue states don't have it. Chathamization Oct 2016 #19

But it's not that simple, unfortunately. If it was, then it would have been done a long time ago. ehrnst Oct 2016 #20

You are correct. The more practical solution is to offer a Public Plan to folks who cannot afford Yavin4 Oct 2016 #25

The fact that we could not get it with a dem house, senate and white house ehrnst Oct 2016 #33

it's not up to congress ellennelle Oct 2016 #43

Congress DOES NOT have to care how loud we shout right now and the president is the least powerful uponit7771 Oct 2016 #53

Congress has to make it law, so yes, it is up to them. ehrnst Oct 2016 #66

say what? ellennelle Oct 2016 #85

Trump's supporters believe that he can do things without congress that he can't actually do ehrnst Oct 2016 #147

We did not have a super controlling majority in either houses in congress... we get one then that uponit7771 Oct 2016 #49

The ACA has been challenged constantly, and sometimes successfully. ehrnst Oct 2016 #67

�To try to do it in one fell swoop would be massively disruptive" I agree, then do it piece meal in uponit7771 Oct 2016 #47

But there are those who say that's a cop out. Single Payer or nothing.... (nt) ehrnst Oct 2016 #68

for the record ellennelle Oct 2016 #88

I have been told that Single Payer is "the only way" to bring down costs, not to mention "simple." ehrnst Oct 2016 #106

always a glitch ellennelle Oct 2016 #50

Did you read about the rural hospitals? ehrnst Oct 2016 #71

excuse me ellennelle Oct 2016 #75

rural hospitals ellennelle Oct 2016 #76

THE MATH IS SO SIMPLE! ellennelle Oct 2016 #35

ps to all that ellennelle Oct 2016 #40

Well said!! (eom) CanSocDem Oct 2016 #42

Love Sanders, but Vermont ran from single payer as soon as they looked at the cost and figured out Hoyt Oct 2016 #55

not so on any point ellennelle Oct 2016 #74

They nixed it because of the taxes required. The carriers can only hike premiums if Hoyt Oct 2016 #77

just, no ellennelle Oct 2016 #89

Uncapped Medicare Part B premiums are increasing over 22% in 2017. That's a fact. Hoyt Oct 2016 #100

You would think that these people would be thrilled with the price for health insurance going up! world wide wally Oct 2016 #37

Switzerland controls costs with a combination of gov. and private plans pnwmom Oct 2016 #39

Employers don't like paying for health insurance IronLionZion Oct 2016 #51

Big Pharma likes it the way it is DemInND Oct 2016 #52

What I don't get is this: Mr.Bill Oct 2016 #54

How about if we start with the small population states. Delmette Oct 2016 #56

Vermont tried and failed badly IronLionZion Oct 2016 #61

Are these public options federally funded or state funded? Delmette Oct 2016 #63

Minnesota is state funded IronLionZion Oct 2016 #65

I like the term Non-profit. Delmette Oct 2016 #70

romneycare ellennelle Oct 2016 #91

actually works better the larger the population to pool from ellennelle Oct 2016 #93

The federal government controls so much of health care in the US... PoliticAverse Oct 2016 #101

I get employer covered insurance and I support single-payer AllyCat Oct 2016 #58

Go Elizabeth! Go Bernie! zentrum Oct 2016 #60

That's not all there is to it - there is the implementation of it which is a huge ehrnst Oct 2016 #69

The claim of area51 Oct 2016 #73

Let's get it done this time!! Hulk Oct 2016 #62

Single payer isn't feasible unless it regulates pharma dflprincess Oct 2016 #86

single payer would correct all of that ellennelle Oct 2016 #92

So much is interlocked - you said it. ehrnst Oct 2016 #151

It's pretty simple. roamer65 Oct 2016 #87

Which Senator said it in 1986? 1939 Oct 2016 #127

No question! InAbLuEsTaTe Oct 2016 #94

I agree with you but, there is something that concerns me about single payer in the US. napi21 Oct 2016 #103

Single payer won't fix anything. We need to NATIONALIZE ALL HEALTHCARE Lee-Lee Oct 2016 #105

You're right, of course. But no Presidential candidate is MineralMan Oct 2016 #107

um, with all due respect ellennelle Oct 2016 #110

The primaries no longer matter. Truly they do not. MineralMan Oct 2016 #111

Not a candidate in the presidential election. ehrnst Oct 2016 #116

Er . . . HughBeaumont Oct 2016 #126

To be fair, I googled "Ain't never gonna happen." ehrnst Oct 2016 #130

So, multi-payer systems. Public driving the market FOR Private, not the other way around. HughBeaumont Oct 2016 #131

Yes - and incremental change. What I've been saying all along. (nt) ehrnst Oct 2016 #132

Yay status quo. HughBeaumont Oct 2016 #109

You don't sound like you have much respect for Democrats. (nt) ehrnst Oct 2016 #117

Not asswipes like Lieberturd or Baucus. HughBeaumont Oct 2016 #124

The only chance of getting single-payer is flipping the senate... Blue_Tires Oct 2016 #114

Flipping the Senate won't get single-payer. StevieM Oct 2016 #119

Like common sense gun control, moondust Oct 2016 #121

but it will crack the door open a bit... Blue_Tires Oct 2016 #123

This is the single most depressing, enraging, disheartening Grey Lemercier Oct 2016 #120

America was built on racial and social stratification Yavin4 Oct 2016 #122

It was also built on people that left European countries The2ndWheel Oct 2016 #136

Europe does has a high degree of racial diversification. Yavin4 Oct 2016 #137

Not as much as the US though, and it's different The2ndWheel Oct 2016 #139

Have you been to Europe? Yavin4 Oct 2016 #140

I'm not saying there isn't any The2ndWheel Oct 2016 #143

That is correct. More importantly ehrnst Oct 2016 #148

Germany also has a very strong anti-immigrant right wing right now. ehrnst Oct 2016 #149

It's disgraceful. HughBeaumont Oct 2016 #125

I have Medicare and need private insurance upaloopa Oct 2016 #128

Medicare recipients still pay an average of 14% of their income on health care coverage and costs. ehrnst Oct 2016 #133

Only two countries have single payer: Canada and Taiwan ehrnst Oct 2016 #134

Price discrimination needs to be banned in health care Peaches999 Oct 2016 #142

Part of it, but not the entire means to fix our mess of high costs for healthcare. tonyt53 Oct 2016 #152

Dec 1969 #