Public health insurance lowers health care costs and covers the care you need

Medicare for those who choose it–public health insurance–would lower people’s health care costs and cover the care they need. That said, Medicare for All is the only way our government can lower health care costs and guarantee affordable health care for all Americans. Proposals that simply reduce the cost of corporate health insurance through higher deductibles and out-of-pocket costs also reduce people’s health care coverage, driving up people’s costs and too often pushing them into debt when they need complex care.

You may have heard the refrain, “it’s the costs, stupid.” Insurers are either unwilling or unable to rein in health care costs. Insurers’ primary goal is to maximize profits and, in the process, they drive up administrative costs substantially and often profit from higher provider costs. Without government-administered provider rates and negotiated prescription drug prices, there’s no containing health care costs. And, without public health insurance, like Medicare, there is no guarantee that you’ll get the care you need. (The government lacks the power to stop insurers from delaying and denying care inappropriately and to hold them accountable for their bad acts.) Unlike corporate health insurers, Traditional Medicare does not second-guess treating physicians or put shareholder profits ahead of patient needs.

In short, corporate health insurers will not lower health care costs and make it easier for people to get care without Congressional intervention. Yes, Congress can give health insurers more money to bring down premiums, as it has done with the Affordable Care Act, but it is not a sustainable long-term solution. Subsidizing the cost of insurance through the Affordable Care Act does nothing to hold insurers accountable for inappropriately delaying and denying enrollees needed care. Moreover, it costs too much if it does not also require providers to accept government-administered rates, as Medicare does.

How much do hospital and physician rates, as well as prescription drug costs, need to come down for health care to be affordable for everyone? In some cases, very little, and in other cases a considerable amount. But, if Congress doesn’t regulate health care prices, most Americans likely will not be able to afford their health care in the coming years, even with insurance.

With government-administered insurance like Medicare, you could continue to see your doctors. Almost all physicians and hospitals accept Medicare. In fact, you would have coverage for care everywhere in the country. And, you would not have to worry about losing your doctors because they were no longer in-network.

With Medicare for All, corporate health insurers would be out of the mix and administrative savings would be several hundreds of billions of dollars. No profits. Lower costs. And, the government would be able to guarantee everyone good affordable health care.

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