Great article debunking critiques of single payer healthcare by Yglesias, Klein, Krugman et al

[I hate liars]

Seth Ackerman has written a well-reasoned critique at Jacobin of recent criticisms of Bernie Sanders's single-payer healthcare proposal, particularly those written by Matt Yglesias and Ezra Klein.

I found Klein's "puppies and rainbows" critique particularly condescending and inappropriate when I read it on Vox. It was not just a rebuke to Sanders, but also an insult to Vox readers who value fact-based discussions (if any are left after reading such self-indulgent drivel).

Ackerman does a great job of pointing out how pundit views on single payer have changed, not just over time, but based on who's making the argument (in this case, Bernie Sanders).

But he goes further to address the facts of the single-payer argument, which might be the best part of his article:

US hospitals spent 66 percent more than those in Germany when treating the same diseases. Yet those hospitals employed fewer physicians, dispensed fewer prescriptions, and treated fewer acute cases per patient than the German hospitals.

Rather than the result of Germany saying “no” to health consumers (i.e. patients), its lower costs were entirely attributable to saying “no” to producers, by paying them lower prices.

Although it's longish, I recommend the article to all DU readers.

[mmonk]

1. Jacobin to the rescue.

[Pathwalker]

2. What would this do to Medicare Supplemental insurance, which can

mean seniors don't have to declare bankruptcy after a severe illness or other medical emergency?
These insurance policies for co-pays, deductibles, and pharmacy bills. Would these continue to be run through insurance companies, or would they be wrapped into single payer plan?

[CTyankee]

3. that's my question, too. We're paying an extra $100 each per month on our suppemental

Plus, we have NO dental so any of that is out of pocket right now. Will dental services be built into a single payer plan?

My pharmacy bills are going up and up and some of my meds aren't covered by my supplemental. I've had to cut my Restasis dosage in half because it is so expensive.

I can't be the only one with these questions.

[Pathwalker]

4. There's 2 of us right here. As expensive as these plans are,

they're certainly better than no insurance. When I had my heart attacks, the complete lack of a single bill saved me a LOT of worry. 9 days in cardiac unit, stent implants, medication up the wazoo (Are you sure you don't want another morphine shot?) medical test after medical test....without those supplementals, we'd need to declare bankruptcy. We seniors cannot afford to give up these plans, even if we can barely afford them now.

[CTyankee]

5. Oh, dear god, what you must have gone thru!

Sorry to hear that, but it sure underscores my message. It's why I pay and pay on these insurances...

[kristopher]

6. Excellent. K&R

[ljm2002]

7. That really is a great article...

...and it is on point about the strangely shifting arguments that were made in 2008 vs. the ones that are being made today, by the same people.

K&R