Posted on 03/17/2017 6:48:34 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
Senator Joe Manchin (D-West Virginia) is looking at a Canadian style single payer system.
It’s the second time in a month that Manchin has told constituents that he’s looking at a Medicare for all system to replace an unraveling Obamneycare.
Manchin has been clear that he will vote against the emerging Trumpcare/Ryancare that will balloon the ranks of the uninsured from 30 million under Obamneycare to 50 million.
A single payer system would leave zero people uninsured.
Under single payer, every citizen gets a birth certificate and a Medicare card at birth.
The United States pays per capita more than two and a half times more than industrialized countries with single payer systems.
At a town hall meeting in Martinsburg, West Virginia today, more than 200 people jammed the Robert Byrd Science Center.
Almost a quarter of the twenty or so questioners called on Manchin to get behind single payer.
HR 676 – the single payer bill in the House – has 65 co-sponsors. No Senator has introduced a similar bill in the Senate.
And by their reactions to single payer questions, the majority in the room wanted Manchin to sponsor a single payer bill in the Senate.
“I’m studying the whole Canadian system,” Manchin told Dr. Catherine Feaga of Shepherdstown, West Virginia after Dr. Feaga asked Manchin a question about the single payer system. “The Canadian system has better results longevity-wise, more wellness. But boy I tell you one thing. They make you toe the line. They don’t give you everything you want. They don’t give it to you when you want it.”
“Neither does our system,” one person yelled.
“It’s much different what we have today,” Manchin said. “In Canada, if you abuse it, you lose it. They are not going to let you come every day to a doctor.”
“They don’t let you come every day to a doctor here,” yelled another attendee.
“We are open to all of these things,” Manchin responded.
When a citizen challenged Manchin about his corporate contributions affecting how he votes, Manchin said – “money doesn’t affect how I vote.”
“But you have taken close to $300,000 from the pharmaceutical industry and $200,000 from the insurance industry over your career in the Senate,” the questioner said. “Maybe that is the reason why you haven’t introduced a single payer bill in the Senate.”
“Bernie Sanders hasn’t introduced it in the Senate either – why hasn’t Bernie introduced it?” Manchin shot back.
“I don’t know enough about single payer,” Manchin said. “But I’ll say this – I want the same quality of life that Canada has. I want the same longevity.”
When Manchin questioned whether a single payer system would cost more than what we are paying now, Lynn Yellott responded that according to a Commonwealth Fund study, 95 percent of Americans would pay less money than they do now – in terms of co-pays, deductibles and insurance premiums.
“I provided your staff last week with a financial analysis of HR 676,” Yellott told Manchin after Manchin said – “I don’t know enough about single payer.”
“I hope that you will take a close look at it,” Yellott told Manchin.
The session ended with questions from two citizens who spoke in favor of a single payer system.
“The German health care system took me in — everybody had coverage, no matter what their background, how much money they made,” said one man who identified himself as a veteran. “And it was effective. Everyone was in the system.”
“I’m open to everything and anything,” Manchin said.
The last questioner told Manchin that he should take some of the money he has taken from the pharmaceutical industry and “build us a long-term opiate treatment facility in Martinsburg.”
“We need some of that money you got from the pharmaceutical industry and build us a long term treatment facility,” the man said, who identified himself as a heroin survivor. “Write the check right now and build us a rehab facility. We know you’ve got the money. You took it from the pharmaceutical industry.”
Probably because only half of the population in this country is working and paying taxes. Where the hell is the money going to come to pay for “single payer” for all Americans, Mexicans, Central Americans and South Americans along with all the refujihadis coming in from Africa and the Middle East? I mean, it’s not rocket science.
I need to correct a few mistakes in your post.
First off, “Medicaid and other safety nets exist” is simply not true. Thanks to Bill Clinton, the only way an adult aged 18-65 can get Medicaid is IF they are on disability. (There are a few states with exceptions, but I’m talking about the majority here.) Disability is insanely hard to get on; I should know, I’ve been trying for more than a decade. I even know a legally-blind person who has been repeatedly turned down, which is insane because that is supposed to automatically qualify you for Medicaid.
Second, where do you get the idea that you just waltz into a hospital and get routine healthcare? If you go to ER, you’re seen by an ER doctor who is only there to stabilize an emergency situation. You’re then released and told to follow up with your regular doctor. ER does NOT provide healthcare for things like diabetes, heart conditions, or even follow-up for someone with strep throat. Without exception, if your problem isn’t an emergency, you’re seen and released. Period. And ER care is NOT free, unless you qualify for 100% assistance—which is rare. You have to fill out forms to apply for financial aid, and the amount you get is proportionate to your financial situation.
And what are these “clinics” of which you speak? I live in a rural area, where there are very few clinics which will even let you walk in the door if you don’t have insurance or pay up-front. One free clinic in this area only serves people from 4 counties; the other charges on a sliding scale. Again, you have to fill out forms to apply for aid.
Furthermore, these clinics don’t cover all services. If you have a melanoma on your face, these clinics won’t remove it for you, because they’re just family practitioners. Got heart failure and need an echocardiogram? You’re out of luck.
Healthcare should be a right. You can’t have life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness if you don’t have life. Pro-life doesn’t just mean the lives of babies, but the lives of all people of all ages.
I’m not saying Obamacare is doing it right—not by a long shot, it’s a disaster. But this country does need to figure out a way to provide all people with the care they need. It’s the Christian thing to do.
Canadians have been coming to the U.S. for healthcare for decades. On of the biggest ways Canada saves money, is by closing hospital beds. Need hip replacement? Get in line. They only do so many per year. Have pneumonia? No open beds. Besides, even if we had an open bed, maybe you’re over 75; that means the money it would cost to hospitalize you, may be a waste, because, realistically, how long are you going to live, anyway? Here’s some antibiotics. Go home, drink lots of fluids, and take the medicine. If it doesn’t work, and you die, see? We were right; your life expectancy wasn’t long enough. Forty years old, with an aggressive cancer? Studies show, treating it aggressively is REALLY expensive, and it probably won’t work anyway. Here’s a bunch of morphine. We’ll set you up on a hospice program. We won’t treat your cancer, but you get to die with dignity, at home. And we didn’t waste any unnecessary resources on ANY of you. The system works!
The Swiss system may be an excellent model to emulate, but most assuredly NOT because it is socialized. It is not. Among other interesting characteristics, it is administered by the “States” (cantons).
Yeah, I saw that long ago. Like or hate, that’s not single payer, idiot. Do you even know what single payer IS?
Or maybe you’re just lying. Or worse, believe your own lies.
Whatever. Now that we have determined that you are spreading falsehoods, I can ignore you except to mock you.
We live in different areas. The things I said are true in my neck of the woods and I know that from a lifetime of practicing medicine. You are absolutely right about the ER but every hospital I have ever worked at have clinics and clinic cards. We did vascular pedicle grafts(advanced multi step surgeries) on clinic patients. There was no difference in care for clinic patients vs paying patients.
The worst way to solve the problem would be to designate medical care as a right and give control to the GVT. That would ruin care for everyone as it has in the UK & Canada where they think they have good care because they are ignorant of what good care is.
Trump is committed to a saftey net and that is the way to solve your problem but best done at the State level. States would be given funds to administer and that way you could complain & be heard.
Clinton destroyed a lot of the network of charity care & charity hospitals but I believe that if some of the pressure is removed from the system they would redevelop. Rural medicine is difficult because of distances and thinner population but with the States knowing their own populations we can do better.
I am very sorry to hear of the uphill battle you have been having and hope that Trump’s pressure on the system and drive to restore America will yield resultd for your situation.
After I heard/read about his answers at that town hall, no, he needs to be replaced in the next election with a Republican seat.
Canada is NOT single payer, it is multiple payer, it is tax payer.
Canada is FAKE health care failure.
Canada is TAX PAYER HEALTH CARE. Failure.
President Trump read this:
cba123 is a Communist Scumbag.
cba123 hurts children who need medical care.
cba123 is a Communist loser dirtbag.
The reason is Everyone does NOT want insurance, such as, healthy people and young folks.
Did I mention cba123 is a Communist loser propagandist?
cba123 is a Liberty Hater.
Thank you Trump
Folks like cba123 are COLLECTIVISTS.
They have a unique need, like a specific medical issue.
Instead of meeting their need, their totalitarian mindset coerces EVERYONE to pay.
Truth is EVERYONE does not want Govt fake care or not fake insurance. cba123 and the like, wants his neighbors as slaves to solve his medical issuses when the root is failure at healthy prevention.
Time is now to bring back positive shaming because the commies are coming out like roaches with their lies.
These fake compassion folks want you as their bitch slave, so they can keep eating their twinkies.
Canada is a FAKE HEALTH CARE failure.
Socialism is always a failure. But socialists always want you to believe that the NEXT implementation of socialism will be the one that finally works.
Sort of like 5-year plans.
Not quite. A single payer system would leave EVERYBODY uninsured, and subject to the whims, dictates, and fancies, of uncaring bureaucrats.
Not quite. A single payer system would leave EVERYBODY uninsured, and subject to the whims, dictates, and fancies, of uncaring bureaucrats.
Actually my neighbor who is 75 needs a hip replacement and they won’t do it until he loses 30 pounds. It has taken about 5 months so far but he is now scheduled for the end of April. Weight is a big deterrent to getting a surgery already and I couldn’t imagine what it would be like with Single Payer. I guess Medicare is a type of single payer which is why they put so many requirements out there.
In the late 1990s, I was listening to a Brit radio talk show, and a guy called in tell his story. He was mid-50s....about 70 pounds over his average weight and needed hip operation. The Brit system said lose the weight and they’d discuss it...otherwise, no. He said he couldn’t lose the weight without exercise, and they said they’d give him pain-killers to get through that period.
He talked to some Indian who owned a pub in the area, who had a relative in India who was in the clinic business. For several thousand pounds, the guy would handle the whole operation, rehab in a upscale hotel, and even the airline tickets. He took the money out of savings, signed up and returned home in four weeks with a new hip. I expect the US system to be the same way in five years, and most people going to Cuba for some procedure that they can’t get done in the US.
Oh wow. I can see that happening too. Maybe if it does happen, the United States might finally see that it is not worth charging the prices they do. I try to look at the positive of everything......lol.
Well, the fedgov can just print more money. /s
Mnuchin and Manchin are two different people.
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