Do most understand what a broad term this is? It does not mean the governement operates hospitals and physicians.

Single-payer health care

Single-payer health care is a system whereby one party, usually the government, pays for the health care of everyone. In practice this means that the government collects taxes from the public, businesses, etc., creates an entity to administer the supply of health care and then pays health care professionals – in effect this would replace the myriad of health care companies with just one government provider.Physiciansin genneral ae against this especially specialists as it would diminish private income.

Hybrid health care
Universal health care can be implemented without having the government pay for it in full, as in single-payer health care. Hybrid health care models emerged from efforts to reconcile the drive for expanded access and the drive against rising health care prices. This model is geared towards getting past the conflicts that have stymied universal health care efforts, such as whether the state or federal governments should take the lead, whether the primary jurisdiction for negotiating health care should be at the market or government level and whether health care is more of an individual or societal responsibility.

Private universal health care
After governments mandate universal health care, they often try to supply that health care. One alternative is to deregulate the industry, and allow the principles of capitalism to keep costs down and encourage innovation.
In short, universal health care can be implemented without wealth redistribution. For example, if the government mandates universal health care, instead of trying to control and ration health care, they could simply enact a law whereby each person must have health insurance. People would pay for their own health insurance or find other ways of obtaining coverage, such as through employment. This would only work if a system of support for those unable to afford healthcare coverage became an option.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...040401937.html


This progressive and innovative law will be watched closely by the medical community and politicians alike.

Just curious here, Sam, maybe you can help. What kind of taxes are on health care? Would it be more affordable if the government did not tax it?

Sam,

How much do you think tort reform could help reduce costs. A study on auto insurance fraud done by the fbi a few years back showed fraud increased premiums by 30% on average and in the 40's for lower income households who typically pay higher premiums. This would have to significantly lower costs by reducing litigation and liability premiums. I know a small business owner who told me his business insurance went from 2500/yr to over 10k/yr over the last 6 years or so. I couldn't imagine what doctors have to pay.

Another idea may be to reduce coverage and make more common prescriptions O-T-C. We should also change the type of service, etc. such as handling simple issues through technology such as media. For instance, you have a cold bla bla bla, you don't have to make a visit so you would be charged less for consultation.

We need a plethora of idea, there is no golden ticket to fix the system.

Tort Reform...really probably little bearing on the costs of healthcare for the average consumer. There are however pros/cons of tort reform

It could improve the quality of rural healthcare by specialties such as OB/GYN or neurosurgery to be able to practice in those areas.

It would increase the income of specialists by almost 100,000/year expecially those with incomes over one million.

Cons..lots of them. Spitty could probably answer this better than I.

__________________

Fear leads to Anger...Anger leads to Hate...Hate leads to Suffering.

How would you suggest paying for it?

Nothing is free...

I don't understand how it will have a minimal impact and how it will increase income? Please explain this to me. If doctors have lower insurance cost they're likely to lower their prices. Expenses are laways passed on to the consumer.

Another point we should all consider, is universal healthcare won't reduce the cost, if anything it will increase it dues to 40 million more being insured. Also, people will be more likely to go to the doctor for smaller things which will also drive up costs.