Spending too much for food and rent? If we just raise your taxes and force everyone to get food and housing from the government, you’ll save money! Everyone realizes this argument is ridiculous for food and housing. So why do we think it will work for healthcare?

@DrDiGiorgio The answer is in your question. People don't "think" about this issue, they feel about it. And it always feels better when mommy and daddy take care of all of those things for us.

@BaseCampApache Exactly. Except not realizing they lose freedom and access when someone else makes the purchasing decisions on their behalf.

So how do people who make less than 60 K a year fund leukemia, treatment? ICU level care? Neonatal care for a premie? There are illnesses and physical conditions that would put somebody making 200 K a year into medical bankruptcy. Through our lifetime 80%, of us will hardly spend any money relative to the other 20% who will spend a lot. None of us can predict if we will be that unlucky 20%. This is why pooling our resources together makes sense. Additionally Single Payer cuts out profiteering middle, improves access to preventative care and removes the financial obstacles to earlier and more effective (and cheaper) outpatient illness management.

@adesantisb @DrDiGiorgio Not to be rude, but the benefits you trumpet for single payer are fantasy. Catastrophic coverage would solve the problem you state, universal single payer care is an economic nightmare (supply gets limited by infinite demand as the marginal cost of consuming approaches zero).

I think that’s a myth. Most folks don’t love going to the doctor. Most people delay care and 50% of folks don’t take medication as prescribed. Those that “love“ going to the doctor“ usually have a DMS-5 diagnosis, and frequent outpatient visits decrease their likelihood of over-utilizing the ED. We actually under-utilize care in this country not over utilize it. The real cost problem are inflated Drug prices, late expensive inpatient care, and unnecessary administrative costs, all estimated to the tune of $.30 on the healthcare dollar. The Congressional Budget Office has has estimated that the Medicare for all Bill that stands in the house and Senate would save the United States $250 billion a year while covering everyone. Medicare for all will save ~1000 preventable deaths per year, strengthen primary care and stabilizing critical access hospitals. I’m not making this up. Many other OECD countries have put in place universal financing, and benefit from the same effect. No system is perfect, however ours spends double the average of other nations and has some of the worst outcomes. commonwealthfund.org/series/mirror-…

@adesantisb @DrDiGiorgio I appreciate your point of view

@adesantisb @BaseCampApache @DrDiGiorgio "We actually under-utilize care in this country not over utilize it" True, and it also destroys the entire basis of ACOs/value-based care. Oh well . . .