Raistline on 30 June 2017
There are many reasons that the US does not have a Single Payer system in the U.S. Here are some, and not in any particular order.
- Going to a single payer system would require a great deal of additional Tax collection. The average family only pays between 15-30 percent of their income towards taxes (not including sales tax). This of course varies by state. While most countries that have a Single Payer system will pay out close to 50% of their income towards taxes (no including sales tax). If peoples taxes were raised that high overnight you would see rioting in the streets.
- People in the US demand a choice for basically everything. With the current healthcare setup the majority of Working Americans have a choice between several different levels of health coverage which range in deductable levels, coverage percentages and so on. Again, people would be outraged if they did not have a choice in this matter. Now I do understand that in a Single Payer nation people often have the option to pay for a health service that will improve the amount of options for care that they have.
- In the US most of the cost of Insurance is paid by the employer. This allows the employees to advertise this as part of their benefits package and use it to help hiring. If company A and B have equal pay for equal work but company A has better health insurance I, like many others, would choose to work with company A. This has been built into our economy in such a way that it would detrimental to many corporation if they lost this as part of ther recruitment strategy.
- Due to the way the healthcare and insurance system is setup in the US the person going in for healthcare has full choice on everything that is done for them. They can choose to get a CAT scan, X-Ray, Biopsy, and whatever other expensive procedure they want to even if their only symptom is a mild cough. With a single payer system the person would not be able to make the same decisions since the needs would have to be approved and validated before the procedure is scheduled. In the US the procedure would be done based upon request and afterwards the insurance companies decide what they will and will not pay for. And as always this can be fought if you don't agree but, even if said person may end out paying for most of these extra procedures they will at least be able to get them done.
- And of course there is the ever present issue of the healthcare industry and the pharmeceutical industry having large sway in government decision by way of payment, donations, bribes, and lobbying.
