Study finds New York state's proposed single-payer system financially feasible

The plan would provide comprehensive health coverage to millions of New York residents, including undocumented immigrants.

ADDY BAIRD AUG 1, 2018, 11:05 AM

A proposed single-payer health care system in New York state is economically viable and could insure a million people currently without coverage, according to a study from RAND Corp. released Wednesday.

The analysis, which looks at the New York Health Act, was commissioned by the New York State Health Foundation. It makes a number of charitable assumptions about the institution and implementation of the single-payer system, but ultimately concludes the plan would be a cost-effective way to provide health insurance to all New York residents, including undocumented immigrants, while also lowering costs.

According to the study, after moving to a single-payer system, spending in New York would remain the same through 2022 and 3 percent lower — about $15 billion less — by 2031.

The plan would cover comprehensive outpatient and inpatient care, primary and preventative care, prescription drugs and laboratory tests, rehabilitative care, and dental, vision, and hearing on top of all benefits currently required by state insurance law. The bargaining power of the state could also result in prescription drug cost savings, according to the RAND analysis.

https://thinkprogress.org/ny-health-act-rand-6a0f41d3131b/