3 minutes:

Following on my previous post concerning the looming implementation of major changes in traditional medicare in 6 states (but I think we can be assured that Republicans will push hard for full implementation quickly) I think it is time that the United States to come into the 21st century and join the world in providing health care for its citizens.

Why? First off it is the only real moral option. To leave any portion of the population without access to health care because of some failing violates every moral code I have ever heard of. Choosing who gets and more importantly who doesn’t get health care, involves making judgment on people that we are not able to make. Especially when people are denied health care because they are too poor.

Secondly, simply to keep ourselves and our families safe from infectious diseases and potentially from those with mental problems it is best for our health that such people have access to health care. Do you seriously want to be in crowded areas with people who have untreated infectious diseases because they can’t get heatlth care for some reason?

Third, it is incredibly cheaper to have a universal system that has low administrative costs for a stremlined system than to have a fragmented system with lots of overhead that is crushingly expensive. If you want to just throw your money away the US health care system is made for you. If you want to spend money wisely and get bang for your buck, spread the health care risk over the largest possible risk pool you can. That would be a national universal health care system!

From Sen Bernie Sanders: (3 minutes)

What do I want for Christmas? A National Universal Health Care System!

As the Republican Party implodes on its greed and corruption, it sure seems that next year’s election would be a great time to push hard for Democrats to campaign on a truly universal health care system. It is what the younger generation wants!

From healthsystemtracker.org:

On average, other large, wealthy countries spend about half as much per person on health as the U.S.

Wealthy countries, including the U.S., tend to spend more per person on healthcare than lower-income countries. However, even among higher-income countries, the U.S. spends far more per person on health.

Comparing health spending in the U.S. to other countries is complicated, as each country has unique political, economic, and social attributes that contribute to its spending. Because health spending is closely associated with a country’s wealth, the remaining charts compare the U.S. to similarly large and wealthy OECD countries.