We have single payer. It comes out of something. It isn't free. We are taxed like 40-50% of our income, so we pay dearly for the system (and other social systems in place).

I doubt Americans (in general) are willing to go there, or as far.

Also, with the system in place, I *still* pay between €100-150 for my medication monthly. So it's not free by any means.

I mean it is nice to dream, but the reality of it isn't that great either. It would be far *better* than the system you have now, even though Obamacare was a step towards this.

Info about single payer: How much would Bernie Sanders’ health care plan cost the middle class? | PolitiFact

An Actual Doctor Debunks 7 Myths About Single Payer Healthcare :: Politics :: Features :: Healthcare :: Paste

Misinformation About the Cost of Single-Payer National Health Insurance | The Huffington Post

One of my online acquaintances just published a book about the issues. An American Sickness: How Healthcare Became Big Business and How You Can Take It Back: Elisabeth Rosenthal: 978159426757: Amazon.com: Books

Currently I have 3 insurances, WC, Medicare, BCBS supplemental and two prescription insurances. Despite this I am not getting the PT I need, nor am I getting my LDN paid for or getting it with a co-pay. Imo this is theft. I never minded paying for insurance that I did not need for more than four decades, I was grateful that I was healthy. Now I need help and I cannot get it, despite paying through the nose.

Regarding the tax implications, please read Bernie's plan.

I can only talk of my own experiences with single payer. It's been that way for *many years* in this country, many many decades. It eats up taxes like no other! For sure, don't let anyone tell you differently.

I still think it is a better system, and do think the US is miles behind, but it's not perfect.

I still have to pay OOP (out of pocket) for a lot of things, even though it in fact *should* be covered by a system such as this when we are taxed 40/50% of our income.

Due to the social system being burdened in the last couple of years, a number of medications have come out of the insurance system, to be fully OOP for the consumer (such as cortisone nasal sprays) -> liberal Minister of Health!

I certainly hope this trend doesn't continue.

A number of years ago, the liberals wanted to privatize health care, ie render it over to insurance companies, like the US model. Needless to say, they did not get re-elected, and lost in the election *big time*. That is how ingrained single payer is here.

I do think Bernie had great ideas! But... it wasn't meant to be. Alas.

You guys can be almost grateful (boy how bad does that sound) that Obamacare isn't yet done away with. If that helps you any.

To get back to the issue of WC and lack of treatment. My point is that as long as we have multiple insurances it puts the injured in the predicament of being a tennis ball batted back and forth between them. It is in WC's best interest not to treat, even when your doctor prescribes treatment, you an injured and weak person are put in an adversarial position-forced to fight for your needs.

I do not have the wherewithal to fight them. My stamina is low, I have just enough to do basic activities and drag myself to the gym. I cannot imagine taking on anything else.

It would be interesting to know the estimated mean cost for a year of WC, plus other insurances. We are paying for this, it is our money, we have a right to get care.

This is where I am currently at...just too weak physically and mentally to fight much as it takes everything I have to get through each day...there's nothing left in the tank anymore. I currently am dealing with 3 insurance companies all denying treatment or benefits. I have 2 attorneys (one for work comp and one for disability) and I am trying to decide what to do about my regular health insurance because as much as I want to fight it and appeal...I just don't know where THAT energy is supposed to come from. So do I continue to fight to get better or do I just accept that this right now is as good as it will be until the other attorneys see what we can work out from WC and disability because without treatment I cannot work...I can barely manage to take care of myself day in and day out. Drs should be making treatment decisions...not insurance companies...but unfortunately that is not how it works right now.

Yes, and if we had single payer we would not need multiple insurances or lawyers involved in our treatments. All that money would not be spent on admin and insurance. We would see our doctors, who would determine our needs, not some bean counter behind a desk, whose salary is based on refusing us care.

Edited to add this article about healthcare profit: Health insurer Aetna's adjusted profit breezes past estimates
| Reuters

You would think Worker's Comp would want us to get our treatments to give us the best chance of getting back to work. But they don't listen to a thing our doctor's say. Which leaves us with getting our lawyers to fight with us. And from what my lawyer says, once the denial hits a certain point there is nothing anyone can do about it. They have too much power now.
I wish we had single payer.

Trust me, single payer isn't just "we'll pay for it all, for sure". You sometimes also have to fight, this time the government instead of several insurance companies. Which makes it worse, in a sense, because you only get one chance. There is only one Goliath to fight.

We have the worst healthcare in the industrialized world. Survey Ranks the U.S. Health Care System Lowest in Performance | Time.com

Troubled workers' comp system shows need for single-payer health care | Physicians for a National Health Program

I know, I know. But often single-payer is seen as "utopia", which it most certainly is not. It has its faults just like any other system.