Single-payer, health savings accounts, or managed care? Minnesota physicians' perspectives.
The United States is facing a health care crisis with the number of uninsured Americans exceeding 46 million and health care premiums and overall costs increasing at 3 to 4 times the rate of inflation. Proposed solutions include continuing managed care, moving to a single-payer financing system with universal coverage, and replacing traditional health plans with high-deductible policies that allow patients to draw from health savings accounts (HSAs) to pay out-of-pocket costs. Despite physicians' vital role in health care, few studies have assessed their preferences regarding health care financing systems. We surveyed a random sample of licensed Minnesota physicians to determine their preferences regarding health care financing systems. Of 390 physicians, 64% favored a single-payer system, 25% HSAs, and 12% managed care. The majority of physicians (86%) also agreed that it is the responsibility of society, through the government, to ensure that everyone has access to good medical care. Less than half (41%) said that the private insurance industry should continue to play a major role in financing health care. The accumulating knowledge about physicians' preferences for various health care financing mechanisms merits widespread inclusion in policy debates.
Albers
Joel M
JM
Minnesota Universal Health Care Action Network, USA.
Lathrop
Breanna Peterson
BP
Allison
Kirk C
KC
Oberg
Charles N
CN
Hart
James F
JF
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003625:Data Collection; D005260:Female; D006291:Health Policy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008329:Managed Care Programs; D020402:Medical Savings Accounts; D008875:Middle Aged; D008910:Minnesota; D018855:Single-Payer System