Adios, Private Insurers? New York City Assembly Votes For Single Payer

"A full belly does not believe in hunger."
Italian Proverb
http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2013/08/italian-proverb-full-belly-does-not.html

Herman Melville Weighs In
http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2014/08/herman-melville-comments-on-italian.html

Canadian Healthcare: Not Perfect, Just Better. Lots Better

http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2013/11/canadian-healthcare-not-perfect-just.html

Canadian Healthcare Better Than U.S. 

Bloomberg News Service

http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2013/08/canadian-health-care-better-than-us.html

"Don't Buy The Hype. American Insurance Companies Think Obamacare Will Be Just Fine"

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2014/01/15/dont-believe-the-hype-health-insurers-think-obamacare-is-going-to-be-fine/

"Obamacare: Where's The Train Wreck?"

http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2014/01/wheres-train-wreck.html

Founder Of Canada's Single Payer Healthcare System Is "The Greatest Canadian Ever"

http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2014/11/founder-of-canadas-single-payer.html

Pax On Both Houses: Blog Posts About Canada

(I am an American citizen and a proud graduate of The University of Toronto where I received world-class education at the same steeply subsidized cost as Canadian citizens. While a Toronto undergraduate from 1965 - 1970, I received free healthcare under Canada's Single Payer system)

http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2014/05/compendium-my-blog-posts-concerning.html

Adios, Private Insurers? New York City Assembly Votes For Single Payer

by Fred Mogul, May 27, 2015

The New York Assembly wants to cut out the middle man.

A bill that passed 89-47 would essentially eliminate insurance companies and cover all New Yorkers' healthcare needs through a so-called single payer system.

An identical bill hasn't advanced in the state Senate, so the measure is not likely become law any time soon.

Doctors and hospitals wouldn't have to take the new coverage. But under the proposed law, they couldn't take private insurance, either — so it would be cash or nothing.

With no patient premiums, deductibles or co-payments for hospital and doctor visits, testing, drugs or other care, New York Health would pay providers through collectively negotiated rates.

The New York Health Plan would be funded through a progressive payroll tax paid 80 percent by employers and 20 percent by employees. Bill Author Richard Gottfried said the payroll taxes would be less than current ones, and property taxes would go down, too, because counties currently pay a large share of Medicaid costs, and the state would no longer need Medicaid.

Gottfried predicts the bill would save New Yorkers more than $45 billion annually, and he says waivers would be sought so federal funds now received for New Yorkers in Medicare, Medicaid and Child Health Plus would apply.

"It is astonishing how much money we will be able to save by taking insurance companies out of the picture, negotiating with manufacturers of drugs and devices, and improving the policing of fraud and waste," Gottfried said.

Republicans expressed skepticism that Gottfried's plan could operate as efficiently as he said and save money.

Edward Ra, a Long Island Republican, said he's against the proposed plan because it could lead to more people defrauding the government.

"The bottom line is that we're perpetuating a system full of fraud, waste and abuse, when there are very easy measures that could combat that," Ra said.

The vote fell roughly along party lines.