Director Of MassHealth - Consumers Would Be Better Off With Single Payer

http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0211/Mass_health_care_official_prefers_single_payer.html


Sooner or later, the US is going to end up with a single payer system. Economics and reality will drive this.

conclusion, but as long as the insurance companies have a stake in it, we will never have single payer. We really need to push for Medicare to be offered in the exchanges for people to buy if they want it. This will eventually force the insurance companies out because they won't be able to compete and still make a profit.

The economic reality is that powerful plutocratic interests love the current system. Therefore it won't change significantly.

I hope I'm wrong.

I wouldn't say there's anything inevitable about improvement in this country. Not at all. Perhaps after it experiences a Class 5 faceplant the country will get over its let's-get-back-to-the-good-ol'-days! deathwish. But a future generation that has survived that ordeal will have to pick up the pieces and start with a clean slate.

... is taking their families and their skills and getting the hell out of dodge.

I am locked down here for the next few years, but after that we are sayonara. I love this country, but I won't condemn my family to a lost generation. Like many, I have options and I'm using them.

Would not consider living in today that might be fully functioning democracies in a few years.

Egypt, Syria, Libya, and who knows what all will be changing dramatically. (if our CIA doesn't step on the people's efforts.)

And we do have some Eqyptian patients, but mostly we are looking at Canada - close, similar, rational -- South Africa - far, interesting, good prospects for growth -- New Zealand - beautiful, nice, currently a little flat. All of these places have decent health care options which we fit into nicely (we would be moving the clinic with us and perhaps even offering current staff the oportunity to move with us if they want to although I suspect most of them would say no in which case I have a plan to get them jobs with colleagues).

There are no safe places and there are no sure bets, but one can look at trends and hopefully forecast where things have a decent chance of getting better or at least not getting worse. THe US has a ton of good things going for it but I don't want to hang out while it kills off everything I love and I don't see that trend turning around any time soon. In 2 generations maybe. But in my families immediate future? I'm doubtful.

What are your plans. Stay and fight? Or bug out?

going to political contributors, so we are out of luck.

Surely few here expect reality or sense from our elected officials?


mark

the U.S. never does very well and one of the major reasons is the health care mess.