Facing today's reality, I think public option added to ACA with increased subsidies, gets us there faster than any other approach.

Actually we should press Hillary now to support a public option.

with a Republican Congress it ain't happening

I have, many times. That's why I believe we can get single payer if we work for it, if we talk about the advantages with our neighbors, families and friends.

If we take the for-profit companies out of healthcare delivery, we can afford single payer or Obamacare with a public option (which would amount to universal coverage).

The key is to get most patients covered by non-profit or government alternatives.

only shot is to win the 2016, 2018 and 2020 elections big on both federal and state levels so we can pass through massive redistricting in 2020 so Democratic power is not diluted. I don't care to deal with a mystical fantasy world

I think a lot of folks will gravitate to the public option, assuming it delivers, over time. It won't be easy to get enacted, but at least it makes an early concession to the 40+% who are opposed to single payer right now.

Might not happen in 2017, but after that there's a reasonable chance with the proper groundwork.

and there are economic reasons for it (It's cheaper kids, and can cover far more people)

Enough already.

Do I think right now it will happen with the current congress? Nope, But I think it will happen sooner or later Like a few things that would never, ever not one way happen (LGBT marriage anyone), it will happen and it will be that sudden I suspect.

The ACA is a good thing, insofar as it has delayed the crisis of the American health care system. That crisis will force that change.

but a public option would be a start. At least something that doesn't leave people to the mercy of private insurance.

care? Is that fully government controlled? Will that be "universal" as well. What if the diff?

Single payer can mean a variety of systems.

In Austria and Germany, the insurance covered prescriptions, most dental care, just about everything. We paid a small, very small co-payment for prescriptions. I don't know if that is still the system.

Single-payer in my experience means that your insurance premium is taken directly out of your paycheck before you receive the check. Each person pays a share depending on his/her ability to pay. The whole family is covered. Everyone is covered.

Government control? What is covered is determined by the government. In most countries, you can buy additional, private insurance if you, for example, want a private room or something not covered by the government plan. Some countries use non-profit insurance companies. Some have direct, government insurance. It varies.

Your relationship is with your doctor. Your doctor gets paid by the government.

Virtually all doctors were on the single payer plan so finding a doctor you liked was easy for us.

I liked single payer.

The people who are not covered by health insurance under Obamacare are often those who need coverage the most. I like Obamacare but it leaves a lot of people without insurance and adequate medical care.

Single payer is a little like Medicare. You don't have to worry about whether you can afford to pay for medical insurance. But in Europe, in our experience, the co-pays were much lower than with Medicare or American insurance. I don't know whether that is still the case.

But single payer means generally that the money for your insurance is taken out of your paycheck and assessed according to ability to pay -- and there are not for-profit insurance companies.