Krugman on Health Insurance.

Oddly, I find myself agreeing with Paul Krugman this morning. A single payer insurance system which allows topping up by those who wish it (although he doesn’t say it, I assume this means top up insurance as well as top up direct purchase) could indeed be a good solution to whatever ails the US health care system. Well, as long as next column he doesn’t also propose a single provider system. Just one little snark:

But Truman failed. Special interests, especially the American Medical
Association and Southern politicians who feared that national insurance
would lead to racially integrated hospitals, triumphed.

Errr, which party did those Senators belong to then, Paul?

2 responses

  1. Rob Read Avatar
    Rob Read

    The usefulness of this will depend on how much single payment you make…
    Any funding for insurance over the level a healthy person would receive would tend to subsidise and therefore encourage poor health choices. I will also probably be funded by punishing the financially successful the most.
    Any scheme that cannot be opted out paying for and receiving should be strongly discouraged.

  2. DeWitt Payne Avatar
    DeWitt Payne

    Medicare successful? The unfunded liability of the Medicare system dwarfs that of Social Security. Go find a doctor who will take it. More and more are dropping out of the system because Medicare reimburses at less than cost.

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