Answers
About Improved Medicare for All
Answers to Questions, Concerns and Comments
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The Answers’ Topics
Go here to display the table of contents
which is titled “Questions and Concerns”
- Understanding Improved Medicare for All,
… provided via 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 a public option
- Other Factors, such as people taking care of themselves, tort (malpractice) reform
- Million Letters for Health Care
- Medicare for All Website
- Legislative Activities
- Medicare
The Answers
UNDERSTANDING IMPROVED MEDICARE FOR ALL VIA SINGLE-PAYER
What medical care will we get?
All medically-necessary care. Examples are primary care; inpatient care; outpatient care; emergency care; prescription drugs; durable medical equipment; hearing services, midwives; long term care; palliative care; podiatric care; mental health services; dentistry; eye care; chiropractic care; substance abuse treatment
Also see: Benefits; H.R. 676 Section 102
Hyper-link to this question and answer:
http://www.mforall.org/pages/Answers#whatmedicalcare
How much will health care cost me and my family?
Most individuals and families 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%, which results in these 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 medically-necessary care
— No major medical bills.
— No co-pays.
— 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 bills. 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/pages/Answers#costforhealthcare
How is it possible to get more, pay less and cover everyone?
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 accomplish the benefits by cutting the incredible amount of 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. However, that’s only part of the cost-cutting. An example of more is cuts in the cost of unnecessary testing and procedures due to “defensive medicine.” And there will be cuts in the amount of fraud and abuse, since a simpler system is easier to manage.
See: Spending among 30 Countries,
Government Bureaucracy,
Health Insurance Companies’ Bureaucracy,
Supporting Bureaucracy,
Improved Efficiency results in the $400 billion of cost cutting
Defensive Medicine, Fraud
Hyper-link to this question and answer:
http://www.mforall.org/pages/Answers#howpossible
HOW IT WILL WORK
How will Improved Medicare for All work?
People (who can, such as via employment income) pay into a single fund, from which one public agency (the “single-payer”) pays medical bills, including all major medical bills.
— There are very little or no additional costs, including the examples of no co-pays and no 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.
Also see: Explanation, Lowest Risk,
… and the remaining questions in this section of the Answers
Hyper-link to this question and anwer:
http://www.mforall.org/pages/Answers#howwillitwork
Who will manage Improved Medicare for All? Is this going to be another government program?
No! Improved Medicare for All 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 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/pages/Answers#anothergovtpgm
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/pages/Answers#regionaldifferences
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 solid yes and no! Yes in terms of our medical facilities and medical professionals. But no in terms of its efficiency and cost and access regarding how Americans have to pay for health care. In other words, the way we pay for health care is inefficient, which results in a dramatically high cost, which results in Americans not going to the doctor. That results in our very poor health outcomes and by our unnecessary hardships. Examples: 19th of 19 countries regarding preventable diseases; 30th (or 50th) in life expectancy based on the World Health Organization (or the CIA, which compares more countries) and overall performance 37th of 191 countries.
Also see: Real People, Six Countries
Performance, Hardships
Hyper-link to this question and answer:
http://www.mforall.org/pages/Answers#usathebestinworld
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 not? 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: Preventable Diseases Performance
Hyper-link to this question and answer:
http://www.mforall.org/pages/Answers#whypreventabledeaths
Keep in mind that the United States performance in 5-year cancer survival rates is excellent.
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 Also see: Real People
Hyper-link to this question and answer:
http://www.mforall.org/pages/Answers#5yearsurvivalrates
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/pages/Answers#usaspendingonhc
What is the impact of the current condition of our health care system 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/pages/Answers#impactofcurrentcond
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/pages/Answers#usawillbebest
What will happen to all those employees of all those health insurance companies that will be shut down?
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 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.
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/pages/Answers#employees
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 any staff person to call a health insurance company to ask for permission to give health care
— a dramatic reduction in malpractice premiums, since a patient can only sue for a mistake, 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/pages/Answers#physicianincome
What will happen to the income of physicians who are specialists?
The net income, which is what matters, will definitely 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 any staff person to call a health insurance company to ask for permission to give health care
— a dramatic reduction in malpractice premiums, since a patient can only sue for a mistake, not the cost of health care for the rest of their lives.
We cannot ignore the 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/pages/Answers#specialistincome
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 real life 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/pages/Answers#howhcqualityimpacted
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 other countries.
See: Performance, Six Countries
See: Maternal Mortality, Money’s Worth
Hyper-link to this question and answer:
http://www.mforall.org/pages/Answers#howhealthimpacted
How will competition be impacted?
The U.S. will dramatically improve meaningful competition among the providers of health care, which is the best kind of competition. The best health care providers will get the most business. It will be a much more open “marketplace” where every good to excellent health care provider has a chance to get whatever amount of patients they can handle. Their performance in how well they help patients will now be their primary concern. Those who can perform well will have an even better chance to perform well. They will not held back by spending time on the excessive administrative functions of the past.
Hyper-link to this question and answer:
http://www.mforall.org/pages/Answers#howcompetitionimpacted
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/pages/Answers#sameassocializedmed
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, reportable 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.
See: Government Bureaucracy for what programs will be shut down.
See: Medicare Popularity
Hyper-link to this question and answer:
http://www.mforall.org/pages/Answers#govtrunhc
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/pages/Answers#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 … with each of us informing at least ten other persons …, then the new law will cause a very large tax increase(s).
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/pages/Answers#largetaxincreases
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 (PPACA) 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/pages/Answers#illegalaliens
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 our 310 million citizens.
Hyper-link to this question and answer:
http://www.mforall.org/pages/Answers#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/pages/Answers#hurtinnovation
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 no longer having it privatized
— having everyone in it to have the lowest risk, like no other free-market country can
See: Comparison, Lowest Risk
Hyper-link to this question and answer:
http://www.mforall.org/pages/Answers#mforalltoocostly
Doesn’t Medicare often deny care?
— Improved Medicare for All is significantly different than the original Medicare in terms of more benefits.
— A denial of a claim is not the same as denying care. A medical professional committing fraud will be identified much quicker via Improved Medicare for All, which will certainly deny false claims for compensation for services that were not performed. Factors that help are the simpler system, which can pay claims faster, have patients help by being notified of the submitted claims and the faster identification of fraud.
See: Comparison to Original Medicare Plan,
Fraud, Denial of Care
Hyper-link to this question and answer:
http://www.mforall.org/pages/Answers#mforalldeniescare
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 $5,000 to $20,000 or more 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 in low risk, you will want to participate in the lowest risk health care venture in the world: United States uniquely American Improved Medicare for All.
See: Lowest Risk
Hyper-link to this comment and reply:
http://www.mforall.org/pages/Answers#buycatastrophic
I want the option of paying more and getting more.
There will be most likely be some degree of options, although the degree of options is likely not what you have in mind. For example, in some cases a certain item of medical equipment is supported; 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/pages/Answers#healthcareoptions
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 definite 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. 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 lowest risk, but large economic benefits.
See: Lowest Risk
Hyper-link to this comment and reply:
http://www.mforall.org/pages/Answers#usatoolarge
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 only unnecessary, but are also 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
Hyper-link to this question and answer:
http://www.mforall.org/pages/Answers#needcopays
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/pages/Answers#needtortreform
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. 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/pages/Answers#manyelderly
Isn’t this a risky action for the U.S. to take?
We suggest exactly the opposite. 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/pages/Answers#risky
We don’t have enough doctors and nurses to treat everyone.
— Among those 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. Refer to the trend of medical tourism that has hundreds of thousands of Americans leaving the United States for high quality health care at a decent price.
See: Implementation, Medical Tourism
Hyper-link to this comment and reply:
http://www.mforall.org/pages/Answers#enoughdoctors
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 a Canadian 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/pages/Answers#likecanadianhc
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, Canadian citizens do not have any major medical bills. As part of being a country based on care without a 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 and a better life expectancy.
See: Canada, Canada vs. U.S. Spending
See: Canada saves lives better
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/pages/Answers#canadaproblems
Doesn’t Canada have extremely long wait times?
No. There will always be degree of variation across provinces (and states). But here’s what occurred … 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, and 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 for the uninsured and for those who are denied care are infinitely long.
See: Canada, Wait Times
Hyper-link to this question and answer:
http://www.mforall.org/pages/Answers#canadawaittimes
Doesn’t Canada ration health care?
No. That is, certainly not worse than the United States, which has a huge rationing problem of denial of care. Physicians in the United States must often call the insurance company to ask for permission to provide care, which is then denied.
See: Rationing
Hyper-link to this question and answer:
http://www.mforall.org/pages/Answers#canadarationing
What about Canada’s medical horror story(s) that can be found on the internet?
There are now many videos on the internet of varying degrees of United States’ horror stories. What does that prove? That no country is perfect. No health care system is perfect. 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. We must use common sense.
Note: an improvement of this answer is planned.
See: Canada Common Sense
Hyper-link to this question and answer:
http://www.mforall.org/pages/Answers#canadahorror
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. If the U.S. media was reporting the truth about Canada’s health care, they would be occasionally report the incredibly high (85-86%) 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/pages/Answers#canadianstousa
THE PATH TO GETTING IMPROVED MEDICARE FOR ALL
Aren’t there a lot of “brick walls” in the way of getting Improved Medicare for All?
Brick walls? We tear ‘em down!
We think positively. We are focused and committed, not significantly impacted by “brick walls”.
We can and will get Improved Medicare for All.
See: Mission, Vision, Strategy, Goal, Plan
Hyper-link to this question and answer:
http://www.mforall.org/pages/Answers#brickwalls
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/pages/Answers#whataretheodds
How We Will Get It
HOW TO GET IMPROVED MEDICARE FOR ALL
How are we going to get Improved Medicare for All?
#1 Believe. Affirm.
Know in your mind and your heart that we can and will do this.
Know the Mission.
Do the self-affirmations that are suggested in the Vision web page.
Know what the Strategy is.#2 Follow the steps of the Million Letters for Health Care campaign Plan. All steps need be followed, except as noted immediately below. The most important actions are in the Plan: the ones that establish the Knowledge and the Numbers.
A Need and An Exception about donations: one of the steps of the plan. We DO need money to continue this effort. If you can afford to donate a couple of dollars per month or a one-time donation, please donate. HOWEVER, if you cannot afford $2 per month or a small donation, then you should NOT consider the donate step. Other people will donate, so don’t worry about it. Focus on surviving, because, with the help of you and the rest of us (by informing people and inviting people to sign up) we will get health care for all.
#3 Stand firm in your belief. A million of us will act in unison. Ignore anything that seems contrary … no matter what you see in the media: the negative, scary videos or anything you hear or read that tries to impact your opinion. This moment is ours. We will do this.
See: Mission, Vision,
See: Strategy
See: Goal, Plan
Hyper-link to this question and answer:
http://www.mforall.org/pages/Answers#howtogetit
Is there any proposed legislation in the U.S. Congress for Medicare for All?
Yes. House of Representatives Bill Number 676.
See: HR676
Hyper-link to this question and answer:
http://www.mforall.org/pages/Answers#whatresolution
Is there a U.S. Senate equivalent to H.R. 676?
No. Some people imply or indicate that S.B. 703 is an equivalent, but it isn’t. S.B. 703 is equivalent to H.R. 1200.
See: S.B. 703
Hyper-link to this question and answer:
http://www.mforall.org/pages/Answers#senateequivalent
Shouldn’t we consider what other countries have done with respect to health care insurance?
Yes. Definitely, because other free-market countries provide health care access to all at a much lower per person and have a very high patient satisfaction. Even the Americans living and working in other free-market countries are very satisfied.
However, keep in mind that the biggest difference has already been identified and studied. The conclusion is clear. The United States relies heavily on the very costly activity of for-profit health insurance companies. Other free-market countries either have no health insurance companies or they have strictly-regulated non-profit companies. Some of the results 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 their health care costs are dramatically lower.
See: Canada, Canada vs. U.S. Spending
— Other countries control their costs.
See: Spending Among 30 Countries (only one out-of-control).
— 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 like living in a country that has a national health insurance program.
See: Real Life Stories 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/pages/Answers#othercountries1l
We need hundreds of thousands of dollars to develop, produce and broadcast media campaigns to educate the public.
That would be nice and helpful, but we are the people in a representative democracy. We can and will have one united “voice”. By 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. Our cost is mainly in consuming the energy and time it takes to 1) inform other Americans, 2) recognize which Americans respond in a positive, supportive manner, 3) invite them to sign up, 4) help them sign up and 5) give them some reference material (after they sign up). The last action will require a little money spent by each one of us across the country.
P.S.: It is not realistic anyway to think that the people will raise anywhere near the hundreds of millions of dollars that the opposition has spent in opposition. Remember the title of our strategy: “A Million Citizens: More Power Than Lobbyists.”
See: Low-Cost Printing
Hyper-link to this comment and reply:
http://www.mforall.org/pages/Answers#dollarsformedia
ALTERNATIVES (also see LEGISLATIVE ACTIVITIES)
We had all free-market health care years ago. Why don’t we go back to it now?.
American society is much different now from the days of pioneering in the wilderness, bartering with food and services, and a much lower density of population. The differences involve both the economics and health care.
See: Free-Market Health Care
Hyper-link to this question and answer:
http://www.mforall.org/pages/Answers#whynotfreemarket
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/pages/Answers#lowermedicareage
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/pages/Answers#implementstatesinglepayer
Shouldn’t we demand health care as a human right as part of the effort to get Improved Medicare for All?
“Demanding rights” can cause confrontational situations. That may be appropriate in the future, such as when we have a million or more Americans who have signed up at this Medicare for All website. In the meantime, 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. If an apartment catched on fire, it’s best that the fire department come to save that apartment and the entire apartment building. Unlike the example of a residence on fire, health care situations are potentially critical for everyone, even more than some other social services. When there is a contagious disease, it is best to be already set up to help the entire population. When a country is being hurt economically, such as the U.S. is from medical tourism, then everyone suffers; providing health care becomes a contributor to being economically competitive. Whether one calls all of this a human right or a common good, it simply makes common sense. Finally, if even one person in our group or our society has unnecessary pain and suffering, shouldn’t we take action? Is that called a “human right” for that person in our group or simply caring for them as a member of our group?
See: If Just One American Hurts
If just one American hurts Hyper-link to this comment and reply:
http://www.mforall.org/pages/Answers#humanright
What will be done about the issue of abortion rights, a woman’s right to choose?
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 (PPACA). It is a separate topic from obtaining a “health care for all” system in the United States. The separation must continue, so that Americans can get Improved Medicare for All as soon as possible.
Hyper-link to this question and answer:
http://www.mforall.org/pages/Answers#abortion
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.
See: Fraud, Take Care of Yourself, Ask Health Care Questions
Hyper-link to this question and answer:
http://www.mforall.org/pages/Answers#patientshelpcontrolcosts
Some people say that we are talking about health care, not health insurance.
Both terms are used. “Single-payer health care” is used much more often than “single-payer health insurance”. It means health care access for all, where the health care is paid primarily via a “single-payer”, a public (insurance) agency. Everyone is issued national health insurance cards. We will “pool together” our money to cover the risk that we as individuals might need health care. We will have one and only one “risk pool.” The fairest and most efficient “risk pool” of all is to have only one payer involved. That will be the way that we pay for health care. We each pay into only one place, and we get the assurance that that all medical bills are paid. No matter which term is used, the U.S. population is so large that the risk of hardships will be extremely low.
See: Lowest Risk, Hardships
Hyper-link to this comment and reply:
http://www.mforall.org/pages/Answers#healthcareorinsurance
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 seeing the sites. Impact: a huge negative impact (on millions of U.S. health care jobs) related to the treatment of those 750,000 patients (2007).
See: Medical Tourism.
Hyper-link to this question and answer:
http://www.mforall.org/pages/Answers#medicaltourism
Some people suggest that we give the for-profit health insurance companies a chance to solve the problems, perhaps even increasing their involvement and maintaining competition instead of eliminating it. What about the U.S. doing that option?.
Increased use of 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”.
See: Graph of Spending Among 30 Free-Market Countries, Fraud
Hyper-link to this comment and reply:
http://www.mforall.org/pages/Answers#givecompaniesachance
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 health insurance companies is extremely costly for our nation. Administrative costs are a conservative 25-30% instead of the 3-5% that are realized with single-payer. 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 very 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 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 Medicare for All,
Cost per Person, Spending among 30 countries
Hyper-link to this question and answer:
http://www.mforall.org/pages/Answers#whycompaniesfailed
Why did public support for the Congress plan of 2009 go from strong to weak during that year?
We think that at least some of the problem is the result of these reasons:
1) it’s a bad plan and bad resolution(s);
2) 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: Health Care Reform
Hyper-link to this question and answer:
http://www.mforall.org/pages/Answers#why2009supportweakened
MILLION LETTERS FOR HEALTH CARE CAMPAIGN
What feedback do you get from Americans about the campaign?
Many of the Americans who sign up take the time to enter a comment of strong support.
See: What Participants Say
Hyper-link to this question and answer:
http://www.mforall.org/pages/Answers#letterscampaignfeedback
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/pages/Answers#sendinginenvelopes
“What? We have to print the letter on PAPER!? And put a stamp on it and drive it to the post office? I don’t even know where my sealing wax is. Dude, this is the 21st century. Email is faster and easier, and you’ll get a better response rate.”
We, the participants in this letters campaign, are using “the most practical and powerful action possible … : our individual, personalized letters in the U.S. Mail to our representatives who want our votes in their next election.” Some participants not only read that and sign up, but also enter very supportive comments about this activity. The printing and sending of the monthly letter takes 10-15 minutes. You are certainly correct in your implication that American don’t send many letters in the U.S. Mail. Therefore, when a U.S. Representative knows that 2,000 of their consituents 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. If they don’t, their challenger in their next re-election campaign will likely be supportive.
See: Sending via Paper, What Participants Say, About Sending Mail
Hyper-link to this question and answer:
http://www.mforall.org/pages/Answers#whypaper
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.
#2 — and “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/pages/Answers#morethanthereps
Why is the primary focus on the U.S. Representatives?
The need is NOT to have 1 person know a lot and do a lot. The need is for 1,000,000 have the necessary knowledge and do a little each month: 10-15 minutes per month to send the 1 letter to 1 person. That is what will get us the best results is to have as many Americans as possible participate. It is much more important for each of us to be educating each other and getting more participants than it is to do more work on communicating to the U.S. Congress beyond sending 1 personalized letter to 1 person 1 time per month.
Bonus. However, since there will likely be 5 to 10% of the million persons who will do the “extra actions” we will also have the following actions occurring:
— 50,000 to 100,000 letters going to President Obama each month
— tens of thousands of phone calls spread out over the month based on each participant’s “day of the month” for calling
— 50,000 to 100,000 faxes going to the White House Office of Health Reform based on each participant’s “day of the month”
Hyper-link to this question and answer:
http://www.mforall.org/pages/Answers#whyfocusonreps
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 three ways:
1) by the overall results of sending the letters: reporting of the number of H.R. 676 cosponsors at the Status page
2) by the specific results from individual U.S. Representatives, such as press releases that they issue about the number of letters being sent and how they are responding to those inputs from their constituents
3) when our goal is reached for the number of participants signed up to send letters to all 435 U.S. Representatives, a special hand-delivery of all the envelopes will occur with much national and international publicity, unless both houses of the U.S. Congress have reached the support levels of 67% that are necessary to have the new law be established under conditions of solid support.
Hyper-link to this question and answer:
http://www.mforall.org/pages/Answers#arelettersbeingsent
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/pages/Answers#whynotprovidenews
Why aren’t the Medicare for All teams and the team members listed?
1) This activity among the single-payer movement is truly and purely grassroots. Many team members are common, ordinary folks who are not publicly visible activists. They prefer to stay in the background.
2) After years of research help from others, followed by three years of help from so many people, it is literally impossible for me to list everyone who has made a contribution. This has truly been a massive grassroots team effort considering all the details of all the contributions of time and effort by so many persons. — Bob
Hyper-link to this question and answer:
http://www.mforall.org/pages/Answers#whynotlistteams
LEGISLATIVE ACTIVITIES
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)
It is an unnecessary, unwanted distraction and digression.
See: H.R. 4789
Hyper-link to this comment and reply:
http://www.mforall.org/pages/Answers#hr4789
What will be impact of the U.S. health reform legislation that was signed into law in March 2010 (PPACA)?
The new law will:
— 1) help millions of Americans directly, such as those who will receive subsidies; those subsidies must be paid by all of us in higher taxes,
— 2) hurt millions of Americans directly and indirectly, such as those who will pay much higher health care costs in premiums and out-of-pocket costs and those who must pay higher taxes to pay for the subsidies, and
— 3) hurt the country economically, which hurts American individuals and families.
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. The new law was accurately described as a U.S. version of the Massachusetts law. That law has been a failure; their residents call it a Gestapo-like state. The laws that have been established in all other free-market countries have been successful, as seen in the information throughout this website.
The fundamental need is to provide health care for all, which the new law does not accomplish. The fundamental solution is an efficient, cost-effective way to pay for health care, which the new law does not accomplish.
See: March 2010 Law (PPACA), Financial Impact of PPACA
Hyper-link to this question and answer:
http://www.mforall.org/pages/Answers#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/pages/Answers#34dems20100321
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/pages/Answers#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
for your viewing pleasure and for sharing information with others
— To zoom-in and zoom-out at this web page (and this website):
do a left-mouse-click multiple times at the large “A”
or small “A” at the upper right of the web page.
Go to the very top of this web page to see the large and small A’s.
Do you have a question or comment that needs an answer? Do you have any feedback?
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
When you communicate about an Answer on this web page, please refer to its bookmark, which starts with a pound-sign (#).
Examples from among the first set of answers:
#whatmedicalcare
#costforhealthcare
#sameassocializedmed
Bookmark with: