My esteemed co-blogger at MedPage Today goes off on insurance companies and extols the reimbursement benefits of Medicare:
Ultimately, this is why I would like to see a government-run health plan*. They would have no profit incentive, and thus no motivation to harass providers and patients in an effort to cut a few corners and increase profitability. Our billing office submits 30+% of our claims to Medicare, but spends less than 5% of its administrative time on Medicare claims. Give me that any day.* Hypothetically, presuming such a plan were adequately funded and met a multitude of other criteria. No such concrete proposal currently exists.
Deal-breaking asterisk there. The key to any government-run health plan is whether it is “adequately funded”. I have zero confidence that will ever happen, and placing faith that our government would do so is folly.
Take one look at the two government health-children, the VA and the Indian Health Service. Both severely underfunded to the point of collapse. What makes anyone think a nationwide plan will be different?
Look at single-payer Canada. Underfunded. The NHS. Underfunded.
Also, don’t be fooled thinking that a government-run system will help with the bureaucracy. Compared with private insurers (at least where I practice), I have the same number of pre-authorizations, hoops to jump through, and denial of services when dealing with Medicare.
A bureaucrat is a bureaucrat when it comes to saying “no”. It doesn’t matter if they are from the government or an insurance company.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
While such a plan may lack the profit motive, it would also lack any motive for customer service or actually delivering the desired results.
Think of the DMV…no competetion, no profit motive, no customer service.
The greatest predictor of future performance is past performance. Lets see..USPS, DMV, IHS, DOD (”we go to war with the army we have, not the army we want”), VA, SSI, DOT, No child left behind, TMI. Here’s a challenge to all the single payor folks: Find me a governmental program (department) that HASNT been underfunded.
But…but….with our great country and our unlimited resources, we should be able to provide comprehensive healthcare to every citizen, regardless of cost or their ability to pay (squeal the Socialists).
The harsh reality….we don’t really want to go that far. But we’ll give them some basic care, because we’re compassionate like that.