In his Feb. 4 column about Medicare for All, Richard Fein posed the question, “How much will it cost and how will you pay for it?”
Unfortunately, Fein confuses his readers by making up his own answer rather than relating the cost structure laid out in the proposed bill (SD.2062, An Act Establishing Medicare for All in Massachusetts), and the savings it would provide if enacted.
Under a “Medicare for All” plan, most employers and employees would actually pay less for private care than they do now, with no “out-of-network” restrictions, copays, or deductibles.
If you are an employee, compare your current cost to what you would pay under a Medicare for All plan. All you’ll need is your last 2018 pay stub and a calculator or paper and pencil. To answer this question, enter the amount you or you and your spouse paid for health insurance for the year; add or estimate what you paid in copays, deductibles, prescriptions, dental care, eye care, and long-term care; and divide by your pre-tax income. If the result is greater than 2.5 percent, you will save.
Now I have some questions for Mr. Fein and his readers. Why do other wealthy countries spend half as much on health care, on average, as we pay in the U.S.?
Why are our health care outcomes worse and our longevity shorter than other countries that pay much less than we do?
How many insured residents risk their lives by avoiding preventative care to control health conditions such as high blood pressure, heart conditions, and diabetes because they cannot afford the copays and deductibles?How many of them end up in the emergency room in physical distress or with irreversible damage?
How many seniors and other residents either do not bother filling their prescriptions, cut their pills, or choose whether to pay rent, buy food, or pay for prescriptions?
How many families faced with a diagnosis of serious illness would rather focus on getting well than worrying whether they can afford the treatment?
Don’t accept Mr. Fein’s conclusions but find the facts about the proposed statewide Medicare for All legislation and draw your own.
Nancy Talanian
Whately