Medicare for All

As Keith Olbermann said last night, let’s get rid of the phrase “Public Option.”  It does no one any good, and provokes fear.  If it’s public, does that mean there’s no private?  If it’s an option, can it be taken away?

Instead, let’s start saying “Medicare for Everyone.”  Everyone already knows what Medicare is, and as it seems, everyone seems to like it.

We should, in all likelihood, just open up the rolls of Medicare to everyone.  If there are still deficiencies in coverage, then we could have supplemental policies, much like they do in France, and here already in the United States.  There would still be a private insurance industry that way, but they would be largely de-fanged.

What are the benefits?  Well, it seems likely that costs would go down, as Medicare payments are a known quantity.  Payment to doctors and hospitals would become much more streamlined, as there wouldn’t need to be huge staffs of people who’s job was to deal with the balky insurance companies, saving money.  The uninsured wouldn’t need to visit Emergency Rooms for non-emergencies, another savings.  And I’m sure there are probably lots of other ways that the system would become less expensive, too.

Why can’t we do this?