A single-payer healthcare system continues to have people talking. Some are even looking favorably on a Democratic presidential candidate's proposal that would be more expensive than ObamaCare.
A single-payer system is one in which a single entity – in this case, the government – collects and pays for all healthcare fees. Last week, The Associated Press reported that many Democrats are finding less to like about the Affordable Care Act, and that Senator Bernie Sanders' call for "Medicare for all" seems to have rekindled aspirations for bigger changes beyond the ACA.
"It is a shame that the answer from many Democrats for the Affordable Care Act's problems seems to be to go even further down the path of government intervention into our healthcare system," says Hadley Heath Manning, director of health policy at the Independent Women's Forum. "You would think, Hey, if you're digging a hole, stop digging."
One thing that may get some lawmakers and candidates to stop digging involves the price tag for Sanders' plan. According to information from the center-left Urban Institute, Sanders' plan is considerably more than expensive than he projects and may require trillions of dollars more in taxes. Manning tells OneNewsNow it's no surprise.
"It's very similar to a Wall Street Journal analysis that showed his plan would cost $18 trillion," she adds.
Still, Sanders and other pro-single payer advocates will focus on the offset effect, or that "taxes may go up, but imagine how much people will save by not having to pay for private health insurance," etc. Manning believes that argument may win over some members of the public.
"But they ought to consider that how we pay for healthcare – not just how much we pay – matters tremendously," she cautions.