A health consultant says the free market
has failed to rein in medical costs.
Aug. 16, 2019
Re
“The Tough Calls on ‘Medicare for All’” (The Upshot,
Aug. 13):
The
discussions about choice and competition, as well as cost, ignore some critical
information and perspectives.
American
health care is financed through a free market that has proved ineffective in
controlling costs because it requires transparency so consumers can compare
prices. But the dizzying complexity of both medical care and insurance plan
design precludes the consumer from making informed choices. Primary care
physicians strongly influence choice, and insurance company provider networks
limit choice even further.
Also,
single-payer universal health care, or Medicare for all, is quite
cost-effective. It has proved to be less costly in other countries. It will
wring out the duplicative and wasteful administrative costs of the free
marketplace and provide powerful national negotiating leverage to stabilize medical
provider and pharmacy costs.
A
University of Massachusetts study demonstrated that Medicare for all
can cover all citizens, including today’s uninsured, eliminating deductibles
and co-pays, and still save an estimated $600 billion.
Even
those who receive health care through their unions or companies should welcome
such a plan, since premiums, deductibles and co-pays have been rising at a
rapid rate in their plans.
Ken Lefkowitz
Medford, N.J.
The writer, a consultant, has designed and managed health care plans for major companies.
Medford, N.J.
The writer, a consultant, has designed and managed health care plans for major companies.
No comments:
Post a Comment