Single-payer health insurance systems: national myths and immovable mountains.
Leaders in both government and the health-care industry have strong and varied opinions regarding the present US health-care system, but concur that health-care financing and organization need restructuring. The single-payer system offers the best framework for improving health-care universality, delivery, quality, access, choice, and cost effectiveness. However, the single-payer alternative often is dismissed early in debates on health-care reform. Popular aversion to collective governmental funding of health-care costs and the economic interests of the management, insurance, information, and profit sectors of the health-care industry are the critical impediments to adoption of single-payer insurance systems. This article examines the psychosocial and economic obstacles that prevent development of an efficient and effective health-care system and preclude recognition of the single-payer system as the best answer to health-care reform.
Lightfoote
J B
JB
MEMRAD Medical Group, Beverly Hospital, Montebello, CA 90640, USA.
Ragland
K D
KD
D019049:Developed Countries; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D018166:Health Care Reform / Q000191:economics*; D009310:National Health Insurance, United States; D018855:Single-Payer System; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014481:United States