Abstract
Leaders in both government and the health-care industry have strong and varied opinions regarding the present US health-care system, but concur that health-care financing and organization need restructuring. The single-payer system offers the best framework for improving health-care universality, delivery, quality, access, choice, and cost effectiveness. However, the single-payer alternative often is dismissed early in debates on health-care reform. Popular aversion to collective governmental funding of health-care costs and the economic interests of the management, insurance, information, and profit sectors of the health-care industry are the critical impediments to adoption of single-payer insurance systems. This article examines the psychosocial and economic obstacles that prevent development of an efficient and effective health-care system and preclude recognition of the single-payer system as the best answer to health-care reform.
Full text
PDF
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Bernard E. Why single payer is still our best bet. Soc Policy. 1994 Spring;24(3):24–31. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Jajich-Toth C., Roper B. W. Americans' views on health care: a study in contradictions. Health Aff (Millwood) 1990 Winter;9(4):149–157. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.9.4.149. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Kertesz L. A blue streak for managed care. Mod Healthc. 1994 Sep 12;24(37):63-6, 68, 70. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- U.S. National Institutes of Health. Recombinant DNA Advisory Committee. Human Gene Therapy Subcommittee Human Gene Therapy Subcommittee: minutes of meeting, 5 Apr 1991. Hum Gene Ther. 1992 Apr;3(2):233–248. doi: 10.1089/hum.1992.3.2-233. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]