Trump: Former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz doesn't have the 'guts' to run for president

[TexasBushwhacker]

35. And when Medicare is the only payer, they control the costs

There will be some variation according to location, because it costs more to run a hospital in Manhattan than it does in a small town in Arkansas. But with our private insurance based system, which has done a TERRIBLE job at controling costs, a knee replacement can cost anywhere from $12K to $80K, and that's just nuts. That means a 20% copay can be $2400 to $16K!

Private insurers don't really try to keep costs down because they just pass them on to consumers in the form of higher premiums. Medicare will pay enough for doctors to make a good living and hospitals to stay in business, but that's it. Price controls will be put into place on drugs too, like every other developed country on the planet.

Since everyone will have insurance, things like cancer can be caught earlier when it's easier and cheaper to treat and chronic conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure can be managed before they cause costly complications like heart disease and stroke. Ultimately, it's cheaper to have everyone covered, not to mention more humane.