On Tuesday at 11 a.m., the Massachusetts Statehouse will hold a public hearing for proposed legislation that would provide universal health care, under a system known as single-payer health care.
Thanks to several legislators who have for years been working toward equitable and affordable health care for everyone, there are three bills before the House and Senate. They are: An Act Establishing Medicare for All in Massachusetts; An Act to Ensure Effective Health Care Cost Control; and legislation to Establish a Public Health Option. For full descriptions of these bills, visit to www.masscare.org.
A single-payer plan is the only realistic way to control health care costs. If enacted there would be global budgets for hospitals, reasonably negotiated prices with the pharmaceutical companies (much as the VA already does), and the elimination of all the administrative costs associated with dozens and dozens of insurance companies.
In private medical practices across the Commonwealth many offices employ a minimum of one full-time employee, and MassGeneral Hospital employs 450, just to deal with the paperwork. Imagine that money and time spent on patient care. The administrative costs for Medicare as it stands now are 2 to 3 percent while the administrative cost of the private insurance companies are 15 to 20 percent despite being capped by the Affordable Care Act.
The Bernie Sanders campaign has put the issue of single-payer health care into the public conversation. Politics being politics, we hear so many conflicting and scary responses that it is difficult to know what is true. One big concern is that our taxes will go up. It may be that our taxes will go up a small amount to pay for everyone having health insurance, and this includes employers as well as employees. But it is essential to remember that most people will save money. There will be no insurance premiums, no co-pays, no deductibles and no expensive medicines to pay out of your pocket.
A study by the actuarial firm Milliman estimated that the cost of health care for a family of four in the United States for a Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) in 2015 was $24,671, up 6.3 percent from 2014. These continual increases are unsustainable. Health care costs have risen to 17.5 percent of the gross domestic product and are projected to be 19.9 percent by 2022. If you are a small business owner staggering under the weight of health insurance, if you find that despite having expensive health insurance you’re paying large amounts in co-pays or because of high deductibles, if you must choose between food and necessary medication, and if even with Obamacare you cannot afford health insurance, then bills being debated are vital to provide relief.
Written and verbal testimonies are welcome and needed. The Gardner Auditorium at the Statehouse is a large room: let’s fill it with knowledgeable supporters.
Leslie Nyman
Pelham
The writer is a member of League of Women Voters, Amherst Health Care Committee.