A Medicare system that works for all

Millions of Americans dodged a bullet and will get to keep their insurance for now, thanks to the failure of conservative Republicans like Rep. Glenn Thompson and Sen. Pat Toomey to take it away.

There remains a threat that Trump might use his power to sabotage the insurance markets, so we still have to remain vigilant.

Obamacare has been a godsend to millions of Americans. To name just one example, most people with pre-existing conditions have been able to obtain health insurance that allows them access to the health care system.

Obamacare definitely has problems. Most of these problems arise from the fact that Obamacare tries to preserve the massively inefficient private health insurance system. Insurance companies employ armies of people whose job is to find ways to deny claims, or, failing that, to delay paying claims to providers.

Republicans and Democrats should work together on a Medicare For All (single-payer) system. This is the system they have in Canada. Their system works quite well: Canadians have similar life expectancy and lower infant mortality rates than we do. Canadian health care is less expensive and more efficient. Most importantly, everyone is covered, and their system eliminates the financial terror that Americans feel when they have to go to a hospital.

I have Medicare and am very pleased with it. Why can’t younger people have it?

Back in 1970, Canadians figured out how to make their new Medicare system work for everyone. Why can’t we?

This story was originally published July 29, 2017 at 11:49 PM with the headline "A Medicare system that works for all."