Democrats are demanding that Congress extend healthcare benefits,
It's just so
awful how the Democrats have a heart for the poor!
Imagine them protesting
16 million extra Americans being kicked off healthcare - an additional
50,000 extra deaths per year!
It's almost unChristian!
If the Republicans were serious about reducing the deficit, they would look at means by which to
borrow even more money to
moon-shot the healthcare system into a totally new space! This would then save the American economy $1 to $1.5 TRILLION a year.
But...
1. it would be such an expensive thing to do up front - it would have to be done in phases and probably involve a few decades of administrations.
2. it would be a revolution in American thinking, and require a massive education program to the American people to sell the benefits.
3. it would involve Americans learning to think outside their very narrow economic box - and be humble enough to learn from other nations around the globe.
4. it would involve some radical changes that sound to many Americans like 'the radical socialist left' - but are just within the bounds of most modern Ordo-Liberal economies - and does not at all represent hard-line communism or socialism. The rest of the OECD takes what I am about to propose for granted!
BIG INSURANCE
Here it is. Forget everything you think you know about "Single Payer"
on its own - as by itself - that would place even Bernie Sanders in Australia's far-right parties!
The GOOD thing about Single Payer - which is what Australia's Medicare is - would be that it gets rid of all the
extra for-profit costs of private health insurance. It gets rid of shareholders and CEO payments, shiny show rooms, and marketing schemes with celebrity endorsements, TV ad runs, and brochures. The government does not have shareholders and super-entitled CEO's and marketing drives to raise funds. They put details about their services online - and have a few brochures at their clinics to advertise services. Done.
BIG HOSPITALS
The BAD thing about Single Payer for the American context is it leaves out what Australia and most of the OECD have. The BAD thing is it would leave the American Federal government liable to pick up the bill for
exactly the same for-profit expenses with the entire American population suddenly going to for-profit
hospitals.
Australia has 700 hospitals. 51% of those are NOT for-profit businesses. They are government owned and operated. Their mission is not making money for shareholders and entitled CEO's and celebrity endorsements. Their mission is public healthcare. So they are far less likely to recommend extra procedures 'Just to be sure!' (Just to charge another $1000 dollars for an extra scan on a simple broken bone that the simple x-ray already confirmed!) Get rid of the for-profit motive - and healthcare suddenly becomes so much cheaper!
I recently had a medical emergency requiring a few days in hospital and surgery.
The cost? FREE! I just showed my Australian Medicare card - something EVERY Australian citizen gets!
THE RESULT: Australian citizens go to the doctors more, go earlier, get diagnosed earlier, and treat the condition sooner - which has better outcomes but is also cheaper!
U.S. Health Care from a Global Perspective, 2022: Accelerating Spending, Worsening Outcomes
Healthcare in the United States - Wikipedia
Basically, the American healthcare system is such a shambles because of the perverse incentives in the profit motive. Business profit is the wrong model. The self-interest of getting educated and working hard to become a nurse or doctor for a good public salary still works in a government owned department.
The enterprise itself does not have to be 'for-profit' for Adam Smith's version of self-interest to still kick in! Public doctors still get a good salary, and plenty of respect and kudos. Public servants managing the hospitals are still adequately compensated. Adam Smith's self-interest is still there.
Even Australia's conservative parties - the National-Liberal coalition - protect our Medicare - and the 51% of government owned and operated hospitals that covers. We still have private hospitals for the rich who want champagne with their dinner - or their choice of specialist, etc.
It's the only way America can REALLY make cuts to the deficit.
If you brought your healthcare in line with the OECD - it would be a third to half as expensive.
The bottom line?
Nationalise
over half your hospitals - and you'll save money in the long-run.
BIG PHARMA
You'll also need a Federal Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) that is like one gigantic Federal market tender for the cheapest generic drugs to bring down those Big Pharma costs. But of course - Big Pharma HATES Australia for our PBS! Under MAGA & Trumpism - American Big Pharma have pushed to have all foreign pharma whacked with huge tariffs.
Because apparently apparently the decades a new drug has a patent and the enormous profits that patent generates for that company are not enough! Apparently every CEO deserves a second yacht for all time to come, because their ancestor CEO's invented Tylenol - or something.
The profit-motive. Is there any system it cannot corrupt?
US pharmaceutical giants urge Trump to put further tariffs on Australia
