How about $228 Billion saved providing the uninsured with a Public Option.

[JohnWxy]

From a USA Today article on cost of treating the uninsured in emergency rooms:

"A decent number of folks who come to the hospital ought not to need to come here," says Jon Howard, 40, a nurse who also volunteers as a paramedic. "We have patients who have a known diagnosis of seizures who are out of seizure medication. Since he doesn't have insurance, he doesn't have a doctor, so he comes to the emergency department for routine prescriptions. It's wildly inefficient."

The uninsured tend to use the ER in a different way than those with insurance. About half of those who come to this emergency room with insurance are admitted to the hospital for conditions too serious to be treated as an outpatient. For those without insurance, however, three in four are treated as outpatients. That suggests they are using the ER for more routine care.

Because the emergency room is staffed 24 hours a day and maintains an array of high-tech equipment, a typical patient visit here costs more than one to a primary-care doctor. Treating a serious headache at UVA's primary-care clinic costs an average of $232; in the emergency room, the tab more than doubles.

The costs are more than financial. Because those without insurance often don't have a source of primary care, they get little preventive care and can delay treatment for a minor problem until it becomes a major one.
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http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2009-09-07-emergency-room-healthcare_N.htm


We currently pay to cover uncompensated care - the cost of treatment for those who can't afford for-Profit health insurance. In 2004 the Government spent about $35 billion reimbursing hospitals and doctors for the expense of treating the uninsured. I previously projected the Government's outlay to cover uncompensated care from 2010 through 2019 at $816 Billion.

Using the estimate that 3/4ths of the uninsured's visits to the emergency room could be handled at a doctor's office (if they had insurance) at less than half the cost and adjusting my earlier estimate of projected costs to cover the uninsured through 2010 - 2019 the original cost figure of $816 billion drops to $589 Billion - if the uninsured were treated at clinics or doctors offices instead of at emegency rooms. This is the kind of savings ($228 Billion over ten years) we could achieve by providing public insurance to those who can't afford insurance from a for-profit insurance company (and forget subsidizing the insurance companies to cover them - at a profit).

We will be spending $816 billion (at least) from 2010 througth 2019 anyway, covering uncompensated care. If the uninsured had the Public Option they would be seen at a doctors office or a clinic at about half the cost as at a hospital emergency room. IF they had insurance provided by the Government it would come to $589 billion (from 2010-2019) for $228 Billions in savings. (yes, there would be administrative costs for providing insurance to the uninsured but I am sure there are administrative costs involved in paying for the uncompensated care but which does not show up in the cost of reimbursing doctors and hospitals for uncompensated care - so that would be a "wash").


http://www.geocities.com/jwalkerxy/Uninssured_cost_inflated_2010-2019.xls