Well, I still am represented in Congress by an idiot who claims to favor the military establishment and veterans, but will not support a single-payer solution to the health crisis. Why can't we simply give every American the same sort of health care that we give to our veterans? I would not want the VA to make live-or-die decisions for me when that time arrives, but until then I get first-rate health care at virtually no cost to me. Sure, they use interns, but these guys are hardly clueless, after all. Once I had a knife-happy surgeon anxious to try a new technique offer to do a second procedure while I was under general anesthesia, and he did one side better than the other, but it turned out okay, and I am less at risk for something I considered myself at high risk for previously. I can't complain about much at all, and when I did have a problem, someone directed me to the patient advocate's office, and they were able to arrange an overnight stay which averted the procedural complication. VA medical care is a lot better than what most uninsured people can obtain.
And the VA is very strong about checking on your insurance, and collecting from your insurer where appropriate. Since many Americans who would take advantage of this medical care DO carry insurance, the government could charge them at prevailing for-profit rates and thus pay a portion of the cost of caring for the uninsured.
This is a win-win situation, and too important for us to forego a single-payer solution that would guarantee uniform medical care for all Americans, at the lowest possible cost to the taxpayers. Remember, the name GEICO stands for Government Employees Insurance Company. This was a government-controlled private company that expanded their coverage in order to broaden the risk and reduce cost for their services to government employees. We can do the same thing with health care!
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