Answers
to Your Questions and Concerns
About improved Medicare for All
It is now time for millions of Americans to embrace the positive
about having a health care for all system. Our future of excellent
physical, economic and societal results far outweighs the challenges of
moving from the current system and getting used to something new.
Please let us help you: please find your answers below.
Answers to Questions and Concerns
… grouped by topics
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The Answers’ Topics
Go here to display the entire list of questions and concerns.
That “Questions and Concerns” web page links to the answers below.
- Understanding improved Medicare for All,
… which will provide single-payer health care- Current condition of U.S. health and health care
— … and its impact on Americans- Impact of improved Medicare for All
- Concerns about improved Medicare for All
- Concerns about Canada’s health care
- The path to getting improved Medicare for All
- Alternatives, such as lowering the age for Medicare
- Other Factors, such as people taking care of themselves, tort (malpractice) reform
- Million Letters for Health Care Campaign
- Medicare for All Website
- Legislative Activities
- Medicare
The Answers
UNDERSTANDING SINGLE-PAYER HEALTH CARE
via the establishment of improved MEdICARE FOR ALL
What medical care will we get?
All medically-necessary services. Examples are primary care and prevention; approved dietary and nutritional therapies; inpatient care; outpatient care; emergency care; prescription drugs; durable medical equipment; long term care; palliative care; mental health services; dental services; substance abuse treatment; chiropractic services; basic vision care and vision correction; hearing services, podiatric care.
Also see: Benefits (side-by-side comparison to current health insurance);
H.R. 676 Section 102 (benefits);
To link to this answer from another website use this hyperlink:
http://www.mforall.org/p/830#whtcare
How much will health care cost me and my family?
Many individual and families in the United States will pay mainly or only for an increase in the Medicare tax that is already paid out of payroll. The expected increase is in the range of 3.3% to 3.7%, raising the tax to about 5%.
If the Medicare payroll tax increases from the current 1.45% to 5%, then here are examples for the total amount of employee payroll taxes for health care:
— $41.67/month health care payroll cost for every $10,000/yr of earned income
— $208/month for health care payroll cost $50,000/yr earned income.
The fantastic savings we get in return when the U.S. has improved Medicare for All:
— No premiums to health insurance companies for covered services.
— No major medical bills.
— No co-payments (co-pays), deductibles or coinsurance.
Examples: co-pay for doctor's office visit; coinsurance after a hospital stay.
— Lower federal, state and local taxes due to elimination of many government programs and the reduction of health care costs for governmental units, including public school systems.
— No more need for fund-raisers and applying to the hospital to request possible reductions in the prices on the amounts charged. There won’t be any major medical bills.
Also see: Costs and Savings, Costs - Lower for Government, Costs - No Major Bills
Hyper-link to this question and answer:
http://www.mforall.org/p/830#cost
How is it possible to get more, pay less and cover everyone?
Or this question: Overall, how will we be able to pay for health care?Through drastically reduced administrative costs.
The U.S. is the only free-market country with out-of-control health care costs and without some kind of health care for all system. The one dramatic difference between the U.S. and all the other free-market countries is “overhead”. We will establish excellent benefits by cutting unnecessary administration costs: over $400 billion per year. Those cuts are possible by cutting unnecessary administration activities within the government, the health insurance companies, and the supporting bureaucracy that exists due to the other two bureaucracies. Other cost-cutting examples are: negotiating the lowest prices for drugs and medical equipment due to our large population; eliminating the cost (and sometimes damage) of unnecessary testing and procedures due to “defensive medicine”; and cuts in the amount of fraud and abuse within a simpler system that’s easier to manage ... and easier to control fraud.
There will be some degree of cost reduction by having a healthier population, but that point is not emphasized at this website. The specific dollar impact of that cost reduction is just a wild guess.
The United States will have the best health care for all system.
See: Spending among 30 Countries,
Government Bureaucracy,
Health Insurance Companies’ Bureaucracy,
Supporting Bureaucracy,
Improved Efficiency results in over $400 billion per year of cost cutting
Defensive Medicine, Fraud
Hyper-link to this question and answer:
http://www.mforall.org/p/830#pay
HOW IT WILL WORK
How will improved Medicare for All work?
Americans (who can, such as via having income) pay into a single fund, from which one public agency (the “single-payer”) pays medical bills, including all major medical bills. In return, every American receives all medically necessary services and will have new freedoms related to health care choices and life choices.
— There are very little or no additional costs, including the examples of no co-pays and no major bills for hospital stays and the associated costs. [As Canadians (and Americans who live and work there) have said, in Canada your spouse might need to pay for parking.]
— Drug prices and durable medical equipment prices are negotiated to be much lower.
“Single-payer health care is the best way to provide improved Medicare for All. The “single-payer”, the public agency will be reportable to the people. It will be publicly accountable.
— New freedoms, including freedom to choose your medical professional and new freedoms related to life choices.
Also see: Explanation, Lowest Risk, Freedoms,
Benefits (a comparison to current health care)
H.R. 676 Section 211 (funding), Costs - No Major Bills
… and the remaining questions in this section of the Answers
Hyper-link to this question and anwer:
http://www.mforall.org/p/830#work
Who will manage improved Medicare for All? Is this going to be another government program?
No! Improved Medicare for All is too important a function of our society to be run as a normal or typical government program. It must be set up as a separate (public insurance) agency that is isolated from the day-to-day decision-making of either national or state politicians. In fact, improved Medicare for All will result in a dramatic reduction in the number of government programs across the federal government, the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Most existing government programs that are related to providing health care will be shut down.
Also see: Explanation, Government Bureaucracy: long list of government programs that will be replaced
Hyper-link to this question and answer:
http://www.mforall.org/p/830#govtpgm
Will improved Medicare for All address regional differences?
Yes. The regions are already defined, because the current U.S. Medicare has regions defined.
Also see: Regional Offices
Hyper-link to this question and answer:
http://www.mforall.org/p/830#regdiff
CURRENT CONDITION OF U.S. HEALTH AND HEALTH CARE
… and its impact on Americans
Is U.S. health care the best in the world?
The answer is a yes and no!
Yes in terms of our medical facilities and medical professionals.
No in terms of efficiency and cost and access regarding the system in which Americans pay for health care. The current system is complex and inefficient. That complexity results in a dramatically high cost, which results in Americans not going to the doctor when they should. That contributes to our very poor health outcomes and our unnecessary hardships. To improve we must move to a system that is simple and efficient so that Americans can all have access to health care.
Examples of our poor performance:
19th of 19 countries regarding preventable diseases;
30th among 169 countries in life expectancy as per the World Health Organization (WHO);
50th among 224 countries in life expectancy as per the CIA.
The USA’s overall performance was rated as 37th of 191 countries (WHO). The United States' health performance has been getting worse over time: the above U.S. statistics were formerly 15th of 19, 27th and 47th.
Also see: Complexity or Simplicity, Real People, Six Countries
Performance, Hardships, Life Expectancy
Hyper-link to this question and answer:
http://www.mforall.org/p/830#usahc
Why is the USA 19th out of 19 countries in its ability to minimize deaths under age 75 due to preventable diseases?
A major factor is that Americans do not get to the doctor nearly as often as people in other countries. Why? Because they cannot afford to go to the doctor. Our complexity (in how we pay for health care) contributes to our very high cost … which contributes to a very low number of visits to the doctor … which contributes to our poor performance. See the detailed charts that document this information.
Also see: Amenable Mortality
To link to this answer from another website or include with a blog comment use this hyperlink:
http://www.mforall.org/p/830#prvdeth
Keep in mind that the United States performance in 5-year cancer survival rates is excellent.
The prevention of a disease in the first place is a more important indicator of health performance. In other words, it is valuable to compare amenable mortality: the number of deaths under age 75 that could have been prevented by timely and effective care.
See: Amenable Mortality Real People
Hyper-link to this question and answer:
http://www.mforall.org/p/830#5yrsurv
How does U.S. spending on health care compare to other free-market countries?
The U.S. is the only free-market high-income country with out-of-control spending.
See: Spending Among 30 Countries.
The U.S. is the only country with an extremely high cost per person with a relatively low life expectancy.
Also see: Cost and Life Expectancy
Hyper-link to this question and answer:
http://www.mforall.org/p/830#usaspnd
What is the impact of the current way to pay for health care on Americans?
— A long list of different types of very painful emotional, financial and physical hardships with many real life stories to go with them.
— Poor health outcomes for the average American
See: Hardships, Health Outcomes
Hyper-link to this question and answer:
http://www.mforall.org/p/830#impact
Will U.S. health be the best in the world when we have improved Medicare for All?
Yes. We already have excellent medical facilities and excellent medical professionals. We need to add efficiency, low cost and better access, so that millions more Americans will be able to go to the medical professionals and use the medical facilities.
Hyper-link to this question and answer:
http://www.mforall.org/p/830#besth
What support will we give to the many employees who will need to find new jobs?
They will have first priority for getting employment in the new system, receive training support and be eligible for two years of employment transition benefits not to exceed $100,000 per year. This support applies to “clerical, administrative, and billing personnel in insurance companies, doctors offices, hospitals, nursing facilities, and other facilities whose jobs are eliminated due to reduced administration. [Comment: The affected employees will mostly likely receive much more support with a prompt and relatively fast shut down of health insurance companies. That would involve a formal project commitment during a certain period of time to the employees. A more gradual or “natural” change to improved Medicare for All over a potentially MUCH longer period of time … with a potentially MUCH smaller amount of support … might feel to thousands of people like a needle going into their skin very slowly instead of fast. Let’s get this dramatic improvement to our society implemented quickly, not slowly and painfully.]
Also see: U.S. House of Representatives Bill Number 676 Section 303 (H.R. 676).
Hyper-link to this question and answer:
http://www.mforall.org/p/830#emply
What will happen to the income of our family physician?
The net income, which is what matters, will increase significantly for family doctors, also called general practitioners. Why? There are at least the following reasons:
— no need to pay for a large billing staff or a billing service
— no need to pay for a staff person to call a health insurance company to ask for permission to give health care
— a dramatic reduction in malpractice premiums, since patients can only sue for mistakes, not the cost of health care for the rest of their lives.
Result: net incomes go up due to fewer expenses.
Hyper-link to this question and answer:
http://www.mforall.org/p/830#physinc
What will happen to the income of physicians who are specialists?
The net income, which is what matters, will decrease for some specialists, but it may increase for others.
Specialists often have especially high incomes in the U.S. compared to other countries. On the other hand, some specialists’ income may be positively impacted for the following reasons:
— no need to pay for a large billing staff or a billing service
— no need to pay for a staff person to call a health insurance company to ask for permission to give health care
— a dramatic reduction in malpractice premiums, since patients can only sue for mistakes, not the cost of health care for the rest of their lives.
There will be a positive impact of Improved Medicare for All on most or all physicians.
Result: even some specialists may find that their income goes up due to fewer expenses.
Hyper-link to this question and answer:
http://www.mforall.org/p/830#specinc
Will we have a problem with wait times (when we have Medicare for All): the amount of time it will take to get health care, such as the time to see a specialist or get treatment/surgery?
Whether or not there is a “problem” will be a perception by Americans. It is very important for us to realize that our health care for all system will be based on the need for health care. If someone has a greater need, then they will naturally have a higher priority for getting care. This is how the majority of citizens in other countries think about health care; it is a very important topic for Americans to think about in advance of having a health care for all system.
See: Waiting and Caring Attitude, Wait Times
Hyper-link to this question and answer:
http://www.mforall.org/p/830#waitimp
How will our health care quality be impacted?
U.S. health care quality will significantly improve. Please refer to the many real life HARDSHIP stories that are available from Americans living in the U.S. and from the many real life PEACE OF MIND stories Americans living and working abroad. When you see the multi-million dollar campaigns regarding carefully-picked horror stories … and now you see the documented stories from your fellow Americans, who do you believe?
See: Health Care Quality, Hardships, Peace of Mind, Who to Believe?
Hyper-link to this question and answer:
http://www.mforall.org/p/830#qualimp
How will our health be impacted?
Health will improve. The U.S. has only one direction to go when it comes to improving health. Our life expectancy is low, having dropped from 27th/28th to 30th in the world as of June 2008. Our ability to minimize deaths due to preventable diseases is dead last at 19th of 19 countries. Our maternal mortality is poor, so our mothers do not survive a pregnancy and birth nearly as well as women in other countries.
See: Performance, Six Countries
See: Maternal Mortality, Money’s Worth
Hyper-link to this question and answer:
http://www.mforall.org/p/830#hlthimp
How will competition be impacted?
Competition should not be part of a health care system. All health care professionals and health care facilities, such as hospitals, should be working together collaboratively as part of a continuous improvement process for the quality of care for all people. Competition occurs among other types of corporations, such as manufacturing. The United States and its manufacturing companies will be more competitive globally due to both a dramatic cutting of labor costs (due to a cutting of health care costs) and a dramatic improvement in the health of Americans. The result will be more job opportunities for Americans within the United States.
Hyper-link to this question and answer:
http://www.mforall.org/p/830#compimp
CONCERNS ABOUT IMPROVED MEDICARE FOR ALL
Is single-payer health care the same as ‘socialized medicine’?
No. Health care will be privately delivered and publicly financed. Privately-run family practice doctors will remain privately run. That’s much different than the British National Health Service or even U.S. socialized systems, such as the national Veterans Hospitals, local fire department services, public libraries, public water systems and local police and sheriff departments.
See: Socialized Medicine, Benefits
See: Crazy Ideas political cartoon
Hyper-link to this question and answer:
http://www.mforall.org/p/830#socmed
Why would I want government-run health care? I am concerned that improved Medicare for All would be a government-takeover of health care.
Most Americans do not want government-run health care.
— improved Medicare for All means less government, not more.
We will reduce government and its spending of our taxes.
— The single public (insurance) agency will replace most or all existing entitlement programs related to health care.
— The agency will be a public agency that is separate from the government, accountable to the people, not politicians.
— In general, people who have been on Medicare like it. We are going to extend the popular Medicare program so that everyone benefits, not just those who are 65 years old and older. Plus, we are going to significantly improve the program, as seen in the comparison web page …
See: Government Bureaucracy for what programs will be shut down.
See: Medicare Popularity
See: Comparison of the original Medicare to improved Medicare for All
Hyper-link to this question and answer:
http://www.mforall.org/p/830#govtrun
If improved Medicare for All is so great, why don’t we have it already?
Most Americans are not knowledgeable about improved Medicare for All; therefore, Americans have not been communicating to the U.S. Congress about it. Informing Americans about improved Medicare for All can increase the level of support among Americans from about 20% to over 50%. American citizens must inform each other. And millions of Americans must communicate in a consistent (and, therefore, unified) manner to the U.S. Congress. Both of these are addressed at the 3 Steps to Success.
See: Steps to Success
See: Impact of Media on public opinion about health care
Hyper-link to this question and answer:
http://www.mforall.org/p/830#notdone
I have good health insurance. My family and I are all set. (Implied question: why should I care about helping get improved Medicare for All?)
— You are probably one of the persons who cares if even one America hurts unnecessarily … physically or financially … due to our complicated, inefficient, costly way of paying for health care.
— improved Medicare for All will benefit all of us, allowing us to get more, pay less and cover everyone, as explained in “What Every American Should Know”.
See: If Just One American Hurts,
What Every American Should Know
Hyper-link to this question and answer:
http://www.mforall.org/p/830#allset
Will there be a large tax increase?
“Side Note” first about NOT having improved Medicare for All. If we individual Americans do not take action immediately, following the plan to get improved Medicare for All … then the new law will cause both higher health care costs and higher taxes, making things worse.
With improved Medicare for All: most Americans will view the tax increase as small, since there will now be zero premiums paid to health insurance companies for medically-necessary care. In other words, saying that there will be a large tax increase is a “half-truth.” Taxes will go up to have enough money to pay for health care. The impact for most people will be a relatively small increase in the Medicare tax, relative to the huge decrease in health insurance premiums, which go to zero. Neither employers or employees will pay premiums to health insurance companies.
See: Tax, Costs and Savings
Hyper-link to this question and answer:
http://www.mforall.org/p/830#taxup
Will illegal immigrants get health care via improved Medicare for All?
Anyone in the United States who has a valid health care card will get health care. When, if, and how illegal immigrants are treated will need to be determined either during the establishment of improved Medicare for All law or as one of the first actions after the law is in place. Our critical activity is to establish improved Medicare for All … our “health care for all” system … for our 310 million citizens. In the meantime, the new March 2010 law (the Affordable Care Act of 2010) is expected to deny care to about the same number of American citizens as there are illegal immigrants from all other countries: 10 to 20 million. We need to focus on establishing improved Medicare for All.
Hyper-link to this question and answer:
http://www.mforall.org/p/830#immgr
Will visitors get health care via improved Medicare for All?
Other countries normally provide health care for visitors either at no cost or a very low cost. The details of this topic can be defined either during the development of … or shortly after the passage of … the improved Medicare for All law. Our critical activity is to establish improved Medicare for All … our “health care for all” system … for all American citizens: well over 300 million persons.
Hyper-link to this question and answer:
http://www.mforall.org/p/830#visitors
Will improved Medicare for All hurt medical research and innovation?
Medical research will continue to be alive and well. Excellent medical discoveries, innovations and inventions have been made in other free-market countries where health care is accessible by every citizen.
Examples:
— Gamma Knife for radiosurgery (Sweden, 1968)
— CT scan (computed tomography) (England, 1972)
— Laparoscopic surgery on humans (Sweden, 1910)
— Laproscopic appendectomy (Germany, 1981)
— Juvenile diabetes treatment by transplanting pancreatic cells (Canada, 1999).
Hyper-link to this question and answer:
http://www.mforall.org/p/830#innov
Medicare costs too much now, so why would I want more of it?
Yes. We agree. It is expensive, especially when you see the comparison to improved Medicare for All.
Improving it includes these examples:
— getting efficiency by dramatically reducing the administrative costs
— having everyone in it to have the lowest risk and the strongest price negotiation power, like no other free-market country can
See: Comparison, Lowest Risk
Hyper-link to this question and answer:
http://www.mforall.org/p/830#cost2
Doesn’t Medicare often deny care?
— Improved Medicare for All provides more benefits than Medicare; therefore, there will be less denial of care from the standpoint of having medical coverage.
— A denial of a claim is not the same as denying care. There will be less denial of valid claims due to more benefits being provided. There will be more denial of claims from the standpoint of fraud, because the degree of fraud will be more tightly controlled.
See: Comparison of original Medicare to improved Medicare for All,
Fraud, Denial of Care
Hyper-link to this question and answer:
http://www.mforall.org/p/830#deny
How will fraud be controlled?
A medical professional committing fraud will be identified much quicker via improved Medicare for All, which will certainly deny false claims, such as claims for compensation for services that were not performed.
Factors that help are:
— The simpler system, which can pay claims faster and at the same time track the costs better.
— The ability of patients to help notifying them the submitted claims, so that they can report discrepancies to their provider and, if necessary, to the public agency, the single-payer.
See: Comparison of original Medicare to improved Medicare for All,
Fraud
Hyper-link to this question and answer:
http://www.mforall.org/p/830#fraud
Catastrophic insurance is the way to go. That’s the advice I give my adult children who are single.
That is not a realistic option for most Americans. The majority of Americans do not have $4,000 to $5,000 ... perhaps not evern $1,000 to $2,000 ... in the bank as available cash to be able to pay for a minor illness or accident. Also, all of us will benefit from the negotiated drug and equipment prices. But, most importantly, if you believe that there should be a low-risk pool in the United States to minimize the risk of hardships for all Americans (by no American needing to pay a major medical bill), you will want to help get the best one in the world: United States uniquely-American improved Medicare for All.
See: Lowest Risk, Best, Costs - No Major Bills
Hyper-link to this comment and reply:
http://www.mforall.org/p/830#buycata
I want the option of paying more and getting more.
There will be most likely be some degree of options. For example, in some cases a certain item of medical equipment is provided; if a patient wants a better model, then the patient can pay the difference. One citizen of Canada reported an example of paying a little more for a better cane than the one that was provided; that was a primary cost after receiving a massive amount of health care after a horrible car accident.
Hyper-link to this comment and reply:
http://www.mforall.org/p/830#options
The United States is too large to have improved Medicare for All. Other countries are relatively small compared to ours.
Our large size is a very positive contributor to why improved Medicare for All will be a success. For example, we will be the best negotiator of drug prices. For decades other countries have negotiated drug prices, while we have paid high prices. In other words, we’ve been subsidizing the low drug prices of other countries! That will now change with improved Medicare for All. We will have not only the best low-risk pool, but large economic benefits.
See: Lowest Risk
Hyper-link to this comment and reply:
http://www.mforall.org/p/830#usalarge
Don’t we need co-pays to have people think before they get health care and help them appreciate the value of it?
Health care policy experts have researched and studied this issue. They state that co-pays are not advised. Most people in Canada have never heard of co-pays; their health care for all system is doing fine, and ours will be better.
See: Co-Pays; Best
Hyper-link to this question and answer:
http://www.mforall.org/p/830#copay
Don’t we need to address tort reform? I’ve heard people say that we should address that as a high priority.
When improved Medicare for All is in place, a major contribution to tort reform will automatically occur. The cost of malpractice premiums will dramatically decrease, causing physicians’ income to increase.
See: Tort Reform
Hyper-link to this question and answer:
http://www.mforall.org/p/830#tort
U.S. high costs are largely unavoidable, since we have such an aging population. We have many elderly people.
That’s not true. Relative to other countries we have a younger population. Other free-market countries pay less than 40% times the per person amount as the United States, but they have a higher percent elderly than we do.
See: Cost per Person, Percent Elderly
Hyper-link to this question and answer:
http://www.mforall.org/p/830#elder
Isn’t this a risky action for the U.S. to take?
No. Implementing improved Medicare for all is critical for the physical and financial well-being of Americans and America. To provide health care for all in the U.S. is a low-risk, high-benefit action for the U.S. to take.
See: Lowest Risk
Hyper-link to this question and answer:
http://www.mforall.org/p/830#risky
We don’t have enough doctors and nurses to treat everyone.
— Among the health care workers who are currently working in their professions and those who are currently in other job positions, the United States has enough medical professionals to handle the transition to improved Medicare for All.
— Since the U.S. does have adequate numbers, this concern is not a great reason to deny treatment. Those who have the greatest need for care will certainly be treated, just like in other countries. Health care will be based on need, not on ability to pay.
— Also, keep in mind another important point about a trend that is occurring. Within just a few years we could have an excess number of doctors and nurses to treat due to a massive loss of patients due to the patients leaving the United States to get good health care at a decent price. Refer to the trend of medical tourism that has hundreds of thousands of American patients leaving. That number is now growing into the millions.
See: Implementation, Medical Tourism
Hyper-link to this comment and reply:
http://www.mforall.org/p/830#nuffdoc
CONCERNS ABOUT CANADA’S HEALTH CARE
Will this be like Canada’s health care?
No. This will be better than Canada’s. It will have 1 health insurance plan, not 13 (which cover the 9 provinces and the territories). Therefore, it will be even more efficient and cost-effective than Canada’s. And drug prices can be negotiated even lower, due to the size of the U.S. compared to Canada. Also, we know from Canada's experience that we must have the single-payer set up as a public agency, where the budget and money management are separate from the day-by-day debates and decisions of the politicians. The budget must be insulated from the politicians. Canadian politicians cut the health care budget years ago; as a result, wait times increased for some years.
See: Canada
Hyper-link to this question and answer:
http://www.mforall.org/p/830#canhc
Doesn’t Canada’s health care have serious problems?
No. Canadian health care is fine with an incredibly high 85+% approval rating by its citizens, and its health care spending is in control. Just like all other free-market high-income countries (except the United States), Canadian citizens do not have any major medical bills. As part of being a country based primarily on care with no profit motive, patients are treated in order of priority of need, not in order of how much money one can pay for health insurance or medical care. Patients with the more critical needs have a higher priority for getting health care. Most Canadians accept that their excellent health care is provided after patients with greater needs are treated first. The result is a better ability to minimize deaths due to preventable diseases (amenable mortality) and a better life expectancy.
See: Canada, Canada vs. U.S. Spending
See: Canada saves lives better; Amenable Mortality
See: American living in Canada: 2.5 yrs of great care; READ THIS TESTIMONIAL!
See: Canada in top 10 in lifespan and USA is 50th, Free-Market Countries
Hyper-link to this question and answer:
http://www.mforall.org/p/830#canprb
Doesn’t Canada have extremely long wait times?
Not “extremely long”, but a long wait time can sometimes happen. The subject of Canadian wait times has three aspects:
1) There will always be some degree of variation across provinces (and states).
2) There was a time period of unusually long wait times. The Canadian government cut back on the budget years ago, and the wait times went up for a time. Canada needed to recover from that situation. [Americans need to ensure that the public agency for improved Medicare for All is set up to be insulated from political intrusion of its budget. Please refer to the United States’ wait time problems at the Wait Times link. Of course, we need to keep in mind that the wait times in the United States for the uninsured and for those who are denied care are infinitely long.]
3) There is a perception by some Americans that any wait time is bad. There is a “waiting and caring” attitude by many citizens in other countries. For more, select that link.
See: Waiting and Caring, Wait Times
Hyper-link to this question and answer:
http://www.mforall.org/p/830#canwait
Doesn’t Canada ration health care?
Like other free-market countries (other than the United States) Canada provides health care based on need. That sometimes leads to some people waiting for care, but that is not necessarily the same as rationing health care. Their health care for all system takes care of the sickest of their citizens first. They evaluate the need and provided timely and effective health care based on that need. The results of providing health care based on the need are amazingly positive. Their amenable mortality, the deaths that are avoidable by timely and effective health care, is better than ours. Their maternal mortality puts the U.S. to shame, and they live longer lives (naturally!).
The health and health care of Canadians shines compared to Americans. The United States is the country that rations care. For example, physicians in the United States must often call the insurance company to ask for permission to provide care. Denial of care by an insurance company is certainly an example of rationing care.See: Rationing
See: Amenable Mortality, Maternal Mortality
See: Life Expectancy
Hyper-link to this question and answer:
http://www.mforall.org/p/830#canrat
What about Canada’s medical horror stories that can be found on the internet?
There are now many videos on the internet of United States’ horror stories. That proves that no country is perfect, whether it’s the United States or Canada or any other country. Since the United States is significantly larger than Canada, we can logically find and document many more medical horror stories in the U.S. than Canada. What matters is what happens to the average person, such as the average Canadian … or the population-adjusted average of six countries compared to the United States. That is an example of data that is meaningful information for consideration.
See: Canada, Six Countries
Hyper-link to this question and answer:
http://www.mforall.org/p/830#canhorr
Aren’t patients flocking from Canada to the U.S. in large numbers to get good health care?
No. If that was true, you would be hearing MUCH more about it in the U.S. news media. It would occasionally be on the front page of all newspapers. There are Americans who married Canadians and are now unable to live in the United States because they can get life-saving care in Canada that is unaffordable in the United States. Also, there are a shockingly high number of Americans fleeing the U.S. to other countries for excellent care at a decent price (medical tourism). If the U.S. media was reporting the truth about Canada’s health care, they would occasionally report the incredibly high (85-86% and higher) approval rating by Canadian citizens approval rating by Canadian citizens about their health care on the front page!
See: Americans who can’t come home,
See: Medical Tourism, Canada
Hyper-link to this question and answer:
http://www.mforall.org/p/830#can2usa
THE PATH TO GETTING IMPROVED MEDICARE FOR ALL
We have too many people unemployed to try to implement Improved Medicare for All. We are in a tough time economically. We won’t be able to pay for … or at least not start-up … a health care for all system.
- Help for the economy is one of the biggest reasons that we need to implement improved Medicare for All as soon as we can. We can help the economy over the next ten years by cutting costs by over $400 billion per year. That’s a $4 trillion contribution to U.S. global competitiveness and the resulting positive impact on U.S. jobs.
- Incredibly, instead of contributing to the U.S. economy and jobs by starting up improved Medicare for All … and cutting health care costs with a health care for all system … we are starting up a health-care-NOT-for-all system that increases our costs by over $300 billion over ten years and leaves out over 20 million Americans. That new version of a health-care-NOT-for-All system is the Affordable Care Act of 2010, often called Obama's health care law or Obamacare.
We need to be starting up health care reform that CUTS $4,000 billion ($4 trillion) instead of INCREASING health care costs by $300 billion over the next ten years. We need to finally pool our money together into one “risk pool”, lowering our risk of hardships and maximizing our economic benefits. We need efficiency. We need to recover businesses and jobs that we have lost: by lowering labor costs via lower health care costs. We need to stop the huge flow of patients that are going to other countries for health care at a decent price that, in turn, is causing us to lose millions of health care jobs to other countries.
See: Lowest Risk plus Excellent Economic Bonus, Improved Efficiency,
See: March 2010 Law (the Affordable Care Act of 2010),
See: Financial Impact of the Affordable Care Act of 2010, Medical Tourism
Hyper-link to this question and answer:
http://www.mforall.org/p/830#toughtm
Aren’t there a lot of “brick walls” in the way of getting improved Medicare for All?
Brick walls? We cannot worry and focus on the negative. We need to get to the “doing” and get it done.
We think positively. We are focused and committed, not significantly impacted by “brick walls”.
We can and will get improved Medicare for All. The participants in the Million Letters for Health Care Campaign will help get it in a positive manner by informing Americans of the excellent benefits of improved Medicare for All.
See: Benefits, Mission, Vision, Strategy
Hyper-link to this question and answer:
http://www.mforall.org/p/830#walls
Don’t we need to also take the action of getting rid of corporate influence on the actions of members of the U.S. Congress?
No. For the subject of health care corporate influence will not be a problem, because the influence will be us, the people.
What is normal. People in public office are very concerned about what their constituents want, but they are also concerned about how much corporate money they get for their next campaign. That corporate money is used to influence voting, essentially helping to control our opinion in favor of voting for them.
Health care will be an exception. As we continue to replace fear with 1) knowledge of improved Medicare for All and 2) determination to get improved Medicare for All established, we will replace (for the subject of health care) politicians' concerns about enough campaign contributions with concerns about how strongly enough they can support getting improved Medicare for All.
In essence, for the subject of health care, we wil eliminate corporate influance. It will be non exist.
That power of citizens' education and communications will be greater than that of the lobbyists, because those persons in public office would like to keep their jobs.
Knowledge and determination will triumph over fear and confusion.
See: Media, Fear
See: Strategic Actions
Hyper-link to this question and answer:
http://www.mforall.org/p/830#corpinfl
What are the odds that we will get the attention of the U.S. Senators and U.S. Representatives in the U.S. Congress so that they will respond to us?
The odds are excellent, as long as enough average Americans do the necessary set of actions. See below for how to get improved Medicare for All.
Hyper-link to this question and answer:
http://www.mforall.org/p/830#odds
HOW WE WILL GET IT
How can we help get improved Medicare for All?
— Become informed by knowing What Americans Should Know
and then sign up for the campaign.
— Inform others via the Steps to Success.
— Do what you can to donate to keep the campaign running.
— Do what you can to shop to help promote Medicare for All.
See: Know, Steps to Success, Donate, Shop
Hyper-link to this question and answer:
http://www.mforall.org/p/830#help
Is there any proposed legislation in the U.S. Congress for improved Medicare for All?
Yes. House of Representatives Bill Number 676.
See: HR676
Hyper-link to this question and answer:
http://www.mforall.org/p/830#res
Is there a U.S. Senate equivalent to H.R. 676?
No. Some people imply or indicate that S.703 is an equivalent, but it isn’t.
S.703 (now S.915) is equivalent to H.R. 1200.
See: S.703 (which is now S.915 in the 112th Congress)
Hyper-link to this question and answer:
http://www.mforall.org/p/830#senate
Shouldn’t we consider what other countries have done with respect to their health care for all systems?
Yes. Definitely. Many health care policy experts plus ordinary citizens already studied other countries' systems. In fact, we have testimonials of FIRST-HAND KNOWLEDGE of how it is to live and work in other countries that have varying kinds of health care for all systems. It's important for us that those studies have been completed and that we have the testimonials of Americans about those experiences, because other free-market countries provide health care access to all at a much lower cost per person and have a very high degree of patient satisfaction. The biggest difference has already been identified and studied: the differences in degree of efficiency. The United States has a complex, inefficient way to pay for health care with not one, but three, types of bureaucracy. Unnecessary administrative functions within those bureaucracies are the primary cause of the inefficiency.
Some of the results of efficiency are seen in the following list:
— Canadians love their national health insurance as per very high percentage results on multiple polls (85% to 86% and higher) and their health care costs are dramatically lower.
See: Canada, Canada vs. U.S. Spending
— Other countries control their costs; the U.S. does not due to the unnecessary administrative costs within three types of bureaucracy.
See: Spending Among 30 Countries
See: Bureaucracy
— Citizens in other countries live longer lives, but pay much less for health care.
See: Cost and Life Expectancy
— Americans living and working in other countries generally like living in a country that has health care for all.
See: Testimonials from more than 10 countries
— There is much information available on other countries’ systems:
See: Systems of Other Countries
— “The Healing of America” by T.R. Reid, published in 2009, includes chapters on France, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, and Canada.
Hyper-link to this question and answer:
http://www.mforall.org/p/830#othr1
We need money: tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars just to develop, produce and broadcast media campaigns to educate the public.
Summary: we will spend millions, because we will have millions of participants each buying stamps and envelopes and making small monthly donations. But hundreds of millions do not need to be for meda campaigns to educate the public. We will do education by word-of-mouth: direct one-on-one contacts among Americans in a massive spreading of the knowledge. [Side note: as more and more comedians on TV and other videos get involved, they will help summarize the facts for us more and more often: this is very straightfoward, folks! The comedians might use the word "Duh!" a lot.]
If it was possible to assemble a huge amount of money that all went into a profesional video production(s), that would be nice and helpful. But we are the people in a representative democracy. We can and will have one united “voice”. By informing millions of Americans plus having a million or more letters flowing in envelopes every month to Washington, D.C. we will have all the media attention that we need from our investment of over $550,000 per month: 1) a million letters by a million Americans multiplied by the cost of a first-class stamp and paper and an envelope and 2) the cost in the donations that are required to run the campaign itself, including the sending of millions of e-mail reminders each month. Our additional cost is the energy and time it takes to a) inform other Americans, b) invite interested Americans to sign up, c) help them sign up, donate and shop and d) optionally give them some reference material. (Idea: share handouts with them after they sign up). The last action, plus the purchase of promotional materials for local use, will require a small amount money spent by each one of us across the country.
P.S.: It is not realistic for us to think that we, the people, will raise anywhere near the HUNDREDS of MILLIONS of dollars that the opposition has spent and will spend in their media activities. Remember the title of our strategy: “Millions of Informed Citizens Communicating: More Power Than Lobbyists and the Media.”
See: cost to participate: stamps, paper, envelopes
plus cost to make donations and
to do Low-Cost Printing, and use the Resources
See: cost of time and effort to do the Steps to Success,
starting with informing others of What Americans should know,
and then helping people Donate, and Shop
Hyper-link to this comment and reply:
http://www.mforall.org/p/830#money
ALTERNATIVES (also see LEGISLATIVE ACTIVITIES)
We had all free-market health care years ago. Why don’t we go back to it now?.
Health care is much different now. Technology and medical advancements have driven costs up to the point that only the very rich or those able to pay for the best insurance can withstand the fiancial burden of a major medical event. In fact, considering the cost of some frequently used medical devices, many Americans cannot afford the cost of a specific test to determine their medical condition. Even 50 years ago we didn't have the high tech medical equipment and diagnostic tools of today that are so extremely expensive. Comparatively speaking, medical care was very rudimentary in the past. Expensive treatments were not available. We've come a long way. Compared to pioneering days that involved paying for health care in a local and individual manner, we now have both the opportunity and the need to pay for health care in a national and group manner. The lowest "insurance risk pool" has the highest number of people in the "pool". The result is that every American can benefit from the technology and medical advancements for the benefit of individuals, families, and our society as a whole. In addition, we tried to expand the free-market solution(s), starting in the 1970's. The end result has been failure, since the United States, starting in the 1970's, has been the only free-market country with out-of-control health care costs. That's a failure that has caused hardships for Americans and America, both physically and financially. There is a more extensive answer at the link to "Free-Market Health Care".
See: Free-Market Health Care
Hyper-link to this question and answer:
http://www.mforall.org/p/830#freemkt1
Let’s lower the eligibility age for Medicare to 55.
“Lowering the eligibility age for Medicare to 55 only works if it is mandatory. Otherwise it becomes the place where all the sickest patients get dumped. That might be okay for the sick people since Medicare is often better and more secure than private coverage, but it would drive total health care costs (and premiums) up, not down.”
— See PNHP FAQs
Hyper-link to this comment and reply:
http://www.mforall.org/p/830#agelwr
Let’s implement single-payer in individual states.
Although this topic is out of the scope of this website and our Million Letters for Health Care campaign, we do maintain the Single-Payer Support Monitor’s web page that documents which states have citizens working to get a single-payer law established. Look for “State focus” at the information on single-payer organizations.
See: Single-Payer Organizations
Hyper-link to this comment and reply:
http://www.mforall.org/p/830#bystate
Shouldn’t we demand health care as a human right as part of the effort to get improved Medicare for All?
Whether health care is considered by someone to be a “human right” or not, it is an activity for the “greater good” of all within a society. “Demanding rights” is more confrontational (negative) than having millions of Americans learn about the positive impact of a health care for all system and then communicating to Washington, D.C., in a massive, united way. Our power will primarily come in our "knowledge and numbers", not in how loud we can shout about our "rights". Our power will come in our positive expectations about our future. Our power will come in working to make sure that Americans are PREPARED mentally for the change and EMBRACE it instead of fearing it.Demanding our right to health care, which many Americans are already doing, will be most appropriate in the future if members of the U.S. Congress fail to respond when millions of informed Americans have signed up at this website and have communicated to Congress at the first of each month by personalized letters (made relatively easy via the help provided each month via the free monthly reminders) and by the efficient (short) phone calls, as per the monthly e-mail instructions.[In the meantime, how can anything be demanded if Americans are not informed ... and do not understand the issue and the solution? Citizens must unify in massive numbers with the strength of knowledge and action, starting with communications to Congress. If necessary, massive rallies can occur relatively smoothly and solidly after we have millions of Americans all getting monthly e-mail notifications from one place reminding them to make our message "loud and clear" via our massive amount of communictions conducted each month.See: If Just One American Hurts … and Tens of Millions of Americans are Hurting
See: Human Right, United Nations, Power of the People
See: the way to become informed and to sign up for the campaign
Hyper-link to this question and reply: http://www.mforall.org/p/830#hright
Isn’t there a problem with the salaries of CEO’s of the “evil” health insurance companies that is a problem regarding the cost of health care?
CEO salaries are a relatively small part of the overall problem. Complaints about health insurance companies are known ... by our experiences in contacting Americans ... to cause a very deep fear and grave concern in the minds of many Americans about the future loss of those jobs. Americans do not want other Americans to lose their jobs.
See: What will happen to … employees … of … health insurance companies?
See: Health Insurance Companies
Hyper-link to this question and reply:
http://www.mforall.org/p/830#ceosal
I don’t want to support Medicare for All because then the number of abortions might increase significantly.
Based on the number of abortions per 1000 women in other free-market countries with health care for all systems the number of abortions will decrease significantly in the United States when we implement improved Medicare for All. One obvious reason is that health care is available for the pregnant woman and then for the mother and newborn.
See: Abortions,
Hyper-link to this question and answer:
http://www.mforall.org/p/830#abort1
What will be done about the issue of abortion rights, a woman’s right to choose?
Answer Part 1. Based on the experience of other countries, abortion rates are most likely going to decrease when the United States implements a health care for all system via improved Medicare for All.
Answer Part 2. Whether one calls it “saving the life of the unborn” or “a woman’s right to choose”, the issue of abortion rights was demonstrated to be a separate topic during the development of the March 2010 law (Affordable Care Act of 2010). It is a separate topic from obtaining a health care for all system in the United States. Especially since a health care for all system has been demonstrated to have the positive impact of a lower number of abortions, the separation must continue, so that Americans can get improved Medicare for All as soon as possible.
See: Abortions
Hyper-link to this question and answer:
http://www.mforall.org/p/830#abort2
Why don’t we have people simply take care of themselves?
Answer Part 1. As long as an individual/family is healthy and has no major medical event, they probably can. However, only the very rich can withstand the economic effects of a major event. Even if a person/family has done all the right things and has healthcare insurance, they are not always as protected as they may think. There are many, many stories of families that have had to fight their insurance company as hard as they had to fight their medical challenges in order to get the insurance to pay. Some have had their carrier drop them from coverage.
Answer Part 2. It’s not that easy. Accidents happen. Diseases spread. But we do need to have Americans take care of themselves and be informed patients (including asking questions). These actions of Americans are needed no matter what kind of health care system we have.
See: Take Care of Yourself, Ask Health Care Questions
Hyper-link to this question and answer:
http://www.mforall.org/p/830#takecare
Can’t patients help control costs?
Yes! In parallel with getting and keeping improved Medicare for All … and taking care of ourselves … we need to take responsibility for educating ourselves, including asking questions of our family physician and other medical professionals ... and doing the following actions:
— taking care of ourselves in order to feel better, avoid disease(s), and hold down the cost of health care
— reporting obvious fraud AFTER we have communicated our concern(s) to the person(s) who is suspected of committing fraud.
Communications are very important, since it might be simply a case of the patient needing some education or a case of misunderstanding of some kind between the medical professional and the patient.
See: Take Care of Yourself, Fraud,
See: Guide to Controlling Fraud, Ask Health Care Questions
Hyper-link to this question and answer:
http://www.mforall.org/p/830#control
Some people say that we are talking about health care, not health insurance.
Both terms are used, and both of them are applicable. “Single-payer health care” is used more often than “single-payer health insurance”. “Single-payer health care” means a health care for all system where the health care is paid primarily via a “single-payer”, a public agency. However, there is nothing wrong with calling that “single-payer health insurance”. Because the concept of insurance is that people “pool together” money to cover a risk, such as the risks of a house-fire, a car-accident or a medical-need. We will have a low-risk pool, the best one in the world due to our large population.
See: Lowest Risk
Hyper-link to this comment and reply:
http://www.mforall.org/p/830#hins
What is medical tourism and what is its impact?
Each year hundreds of thousands of American patients go to other countries for decent care at a much better price, experiencing another culture and, if possible, seeing the sites. Impact: a huge negative impact (on millions of U.S. health care jobs) related to the treatment of 750,000 patients (2007), which grew to an estimated 1.5 million (2008).
See: Medical Tourism.
Hyper-link to this question and answer:
http://www.mforall.org/p/830#medtour
Some people suggest that we give the for-profit health insurance companies a chance to solve the problems.
Increased use of for-profit health insurance companies has been in use for the last 30 years, first with the establishment of the concepts of “managed care” and “health maintenance organizations” in the 1970’s and later by the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003. During that same time the costs have health care in the U.S. dramatically gone out-of-control compared to all other free-market high-income countries. The graph below “says it all”. The fundamental high-cost nature of for-profit health insurance companies involves activities that help keep them in business and maximize their profits. That situation results in their inability to dramatically reduce costs, especially when compared to the fundamental low-cost nature of single-payer health care.
See: Graph of Spending Among 30 Free-Market Countries, Fraud
Hyper-link to this comment and reply:
http://www.mforall.org/p/830#freemkt2
Why did the health insurance companies and a for-profit version of Medicare fail so badly between the mid-1970’s and now?
The use of for-profit health insurance companies is extremely costly for our nation. Their administrative costs are a conservative 15-17% ... and a total administrative cost impact of 25-30% on our society which must currently do business with them ... instead of the 3-5% that are realized with single-payer health care. The 25-30% includes not just the inefficiency of the health insurance companies themselves, but also the impact that they have overall, such as the need to have large registration and accounting staffs at medical offices and medical facilities, such as hospitals. But what is not included in the 25-30% is the devastating impact on our economy, such as businesses and jobs lost to other countries because we have been so cost-inefficient. Companies want to minimize their costs, such as minimize labor costs, which are higher when there are higher health care costs. In the United States: 1) costs are out of control; 2) costs will stay out of control with the new law (PPACA) of March 2010; 3) costs will dramatically drop when we implement improved Medicare for All.
See: Improved Efficiency with improved Medicare for All,
Cost per Person, Spending among 30 countries
Hyper-link to this question and answer:
http://www.mforall.org/p/830#freemkt3
What will be the impact of the current law: the Affordable Care Act of 2010?
The law maintained the complexity and inefficiency that we had in how health care is financed. And the Congress and the President, via the new law, added more complexity. More regulations on health insurance companies will result in higher health care costs. The additional complexity will result in higher government costs, causing higher taxes. The 2010 law will help some Americans, but is projected to leave tens of millions with no health insurance.
Comment: one of the factors in the election of U.S. Senator Scott Brown to replace Ted Kennedy was the outrage that Massachusetts citizens have about mandatory health insurance, causing lifelong Democrats to vote for Republican Scott Brown.
See: March 2010 Law (the Affordable Care Act of 2010),
See: Financial Impact of the Affordable Care Act of 2010, Medical Tourism
See: Health Care Reform side-by-side comparison, Massachusetts
Hyper-link to this question and answer:
http://www.mforall.org/p/830#aca2010
MILLION LETTERS FOR HEALTH CARE CAMPAIGN
What feedback do you get from Americans about the campaign?
Many of the Americans who sign up have taken the time to communicate a comment of strong support.
See: What Participants Say
Hyper-link to this question and answer:
http://www.mforall.org/p/830#feedbk
I have heard that there is a problem in getting U.S. Mail to Congress.
No, there is no problem. it takes 5-7 days.
Go to the following link to know the details about the associated rumor and the facts about U.S. Mail going to the U.S. Congress.
See: About Sending Mail
Hyper-link to this comment and reply:
http://www.mforall.org/p/830#sendenv
“What? We have to print the letter on PAPER!? And put a stamp on it and drive it to the post office? Email is faster and easier, and you’ll get a better response rate.”
American don’t send many letters in the U.S. Mail to their members of the U.S. Congress. That makes this campaign special. As reported in 2005 in a “Communicating with Congress” study, individualized (personalized) postal letters have a higher impact than e-mails. Therefore, when a U.S. Representative knows that thousands of their constituents are taking the time to print and personalize and send a letter in the U.S. Mail, that U.S. Representative will most likely respond positively to the input.
See: Sending via Paper which provides important information
from the "Communicating with Congress" study
What Participants Say, About Sending Mail
Hyper-link to this question and answer:
http://www.mforall.org/p/830#sendppr
Is the campaign only about sending letters in the U.S. Mail to the U.S. Representatives?
… NO There is more …
For those who sign up, the campaign provides support for:
#1 — 1 monthly reminder to send 1 letter to 1 person, the U.S. Representative
with the option of also sending letters to your two U.S. Senators.
All three options are supported.
#2 — additional actions, such as very efficient phone calls, that we will do
occasionally when our strength in numbers is in the millions
“Extras” … extra actions to consider taking, fully supported with instructions intended to help minimize the time and effort for each additional action:
— Send a copy of your monthly letter in the U.S. Mail to President Obama; instructions are provided for how to do that with the least amount of effort.
— Make Calls. Make a short toll-free call(s) not only to your U.S. Representative, but also to the list of current targeted persons, which are either mainly or only members of the U.S. Congress.
— Send FREE fax. Send a free fax to the White House Office of Health Reform. Please note that this is truly free to the single-payer movement: that is, the movement that will get us improved Medicare for All and then keep it.See: AFTER you sign up you will receive the link in each monthly reminder that takes you to all instructions for all the above actions.
Hyper-link to this question and answer:
http://www.mforall.org/p/830#domore1
Why is the primary focus on the U.S. Representatives?
The need is for millions of us have the necessary knowledge and do a little each month: 10-15 minutes per month to send the 1 letter to 1 person. The monthly action by each of us can be focused only on one person until our numbers get into the millions. That is, what will get us the best results is to have as many Americans as possible participate. It is important for each of us to be educating each other and getting more and participants. We can occasionally send more letters to more people in Washington, D.C. and occasionally make phone calls when our numbers are in the millions.
Bonus. However, since there will likely be a few percent of the millions of persons who will do the “extra actions” we will also have the following actions occurring:
— tens of thousands of letters going to the President each month
— thousands of phone calls spread out over the month based on each participant’s “day of the month” for calling.
Hyper-link to this question and answer:
http://www.mforall.org/p/830#domore2
How does anyone know that the letters are actually being sent in the U.S. Mail to the U.S. Representatives?
We verify that letters are being sent in these ways:
1) by the overall results:
the number of supporters of improved Medicare for All in the U.S. Congress
2) by the specific results
from individual U.S. Representatives, such as their press releases
and from the news media, national and international, which will
be reporting on the huge volume of envelopes ... and then later
the volume of envelopes and phone calls
Hyper-link to this question and answer:
http://www.mforall.org/p/830#sendknw
MEDICARE FOR ALL WEBSITE
Why don’t you provide the latest news … or news and analysis … for participants?
That would be a waste of our time, because it would be a duplication of effort.
See: Daily Updates and Blogs
Hyper-link to this question and answer:
http://www.mforall.org/p/830#news
Why don’t you include the important topic of patient safety?
We agree that patient safety is an important topic. That will very likely be included in the Good Health for All website, which currently automatically links to the Medicare for All website. In the meantime, we can have some overlap/merging of activities of the two causes. Americans most interested in and dedicated to patient safety can be a participant in the Million Letters for Health Care Campaign, since each participant spends 10-15 minutes per month (with a few months being a little longer) to help establish health care for all. Americans most interested in and dedicated to the establishment of a health care for all system can have some awareness of patient safety via the web page(s) here that relate to it, such as the one about asking health care questions
See: Ask Health Care Questions Take Care of Yourself
Hyper-link to this question and answer:
http://www.mforall.org/p/830#safety
Why aren’t the Medicare for All teams and the team members listed?
This activity within the single-payer movement has been a grassroots team effort of many people. The content of the teams has changed significantly over time. Some team members are common, ordinary folks who are not publicly visible activists. They prefer to stay in the background.
There were roughly four years of building the foundation of the website and the campaign, including contributions of time and effort from others plus the initial set of monetary donors. It is literally impossible for me to list everyone who has made a contribution of time, effort and money.
Hyper-link to this question and answer:
http://www.mforall.org/p/830#whynotlistteams
What will be the impact of the March 2010 law (PPACA/HCERA)(Obamacare) (the health reform that was signed into law in March 2010)?
The new law will:
— 1) help millions of Americans directly. They will receive subsidies. Unfortunately, those subsidies must be paid by all of us in higher taxes,
— 2) hurt millions of Americans directly and indirectly. We’ll pay much higher health care costs in premiums and out-of-pocket costs. We’ll pay higher taxes to pay for the subsidies and the expansion of government. And the money will go largely to insurance companies; that’s a continuance of what we already do in the current system.
— 3) hurt the country economically, since the higher health care costs means that we will not be as globally competitive. That means more lost jobs. That hurts American individuals and families.
Complexity. — The law increases the complexity of how Americans pay for health care. That complexity results in increased inefficiency, increased bureaucracy and higher costs. The higher costs will be seen in higher taxes at all levels of government, higher health insurance premium costs and higher out-of-pocket costs for health care.
Sky-Rocketing Premiums. — The state of New York had already demonstrated … and still is demonstrating … that the addition of regulations on health insurance companies causes rates to be incredibly high. In New York the premiums for a family have been approaching the entire median family income for a year in the United States. See the linked web page for the details.
Bad Foundation. — The new law was accurately described as a U.S. version of the Massachusetts law. The Massachusetts law has been a failure; some residents there call it a Gestapo-like state, and costs have been sky-rocketing. The federal government (via us: taxpayers from all states) had to give Massachusetts more money than expected in order for their health reform to keep operating.
Raising of Costs Instead of Cutting Costs. — Over 10 years we will pay $300 billion more while implementing a health care for all system. When the U.S. Congress establishes improved Medicare for All, a health care for all system, we will have a reduction of bureaucracy, including less government, and a decrease in costs of over $4000 billion (400 per year).
See: March 2010 Law (PPACA), Financial Impact of PPACA
See: Increased Regulations on health insurance companies: the impact in New York state
See: Massachusetts Mandatory Plan: the impact in Massachusetts
Hyper-link to this question and answer:
http://www.mforall.org/p/830#mar2010impact
Who were the 34 Democrats who joined all of the Republicans in the U.S. House for the March 21, 2010, vote on health care reform?
One or more U.S. Representatives from each of the following states voted “no” on the health care reform votes of March 21, 2010: AL(2), AR(2), GA(2), ID, IL, KY, LA, MA, MD, MN, MO, MS(2), NC(3), NJ, NM, NY(2), OH, OK, PA(2), SD, TN(2), TX, UT, VA(2).
See: Votes March 2010
Hyper-link to this question and answer:
http://www.mforall.org/p/830#34dems20100321
Representative Alan Grayson of Florida introduced a bill in the U.S. House that seems to be a true public option: House of Representatives Bill Number 4789 (H.R. 4789)
Effort spent on any public option is effort spent on a woefully inadequate solution. We need to have Americans being unified, having efforts spent all on the best solution: improved Medicare for All.
See: H.R. 4789
Hyper-link to this comment and reply:
http://www.mforall.org/p/830#hr4789
How do I enroll into Medicare?
Be prepared to give specific information when you call the toll-free number after your 65th birthday. The phone number, the required information, and a clarification about Medicare vs. Medicaid are provided at the following link.
See: Medicare Enrollment
Hyper-link to this question and answer:
http://www.mforall.org/p/830#enrollinmedicare
LINKING … “Hyper-link to this question and answer:”
About linking to one of these answers. At each answer at or near the bottom you will see “Hyper-link to this question and answer”. Here is the purpose for that information:
When you are communicating in an e-mail or at another website, such as at a newspaper website or blog, you may want to link to an answer at this web page. Hyper-link information is provided as the last line of each answer, so that you can copy it and paste it into your communication. Note: not all blog/comment functions at websites convert the hyper-link definition into a hyper-link. Therefore, after you insert a hyper-link into your comment, you may want to double-check to see if it was converted into a link or not.
LEARNING and SHARING
By reading this Answers web page you learned or will learn important information about improved Medicare for All and related topics. Getting improved Medicare for All established is critical for the physical and financial well-being of Americans and America.
You’ll learn even more by reading the associated linked web pages: notice the “See” and “Also see” at many of the answers.
Sharing is another way to learn. Sitting down with one other person at this web page and finding answers to questions not only answers their questions, but it also reinforces your knowledge.
For answers to any missing questions or concerns please contact Bob to have the Answers team consider making a change(s).
ZOOM FEATURE
… which you may find to be important
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Please contact me if you have a question or topic about single-payer, Medicare for All, for which you would like to have an answer. Our Answers Team would be very happy to consider your input as part of our continuous improvement process. — Bob
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Examples from among the first set of answers:
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