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>>Wouldn't this approach, waiting until its politically feasible for single payer, ultimately be the best course of action?<<
Far too many people do not have access to health care NOW. Although I would love to have a single payer system, we need substantive reform NOW - not once single payer is politically feasible.
By substantive reform I mean at least the immediate implementation:
No denials of coverage (or of health care) because of pre-existing conditions (issue the policy and don't exclude pre-existing conditions) No caps on coverage Premium parity - Health status cannot be used to determine how much you pay for insurance
(These would make insurance available on an equitable basis for those who can afford to pay a "reasonable" premium - in the ball park of $5000-$8000/year rather than the $14,000-$20,000 for folks in a high risk pool)
And the implementation in the next 1-2 years (at the longest) of: Subsidies for low income individuals.
Currently both groups of concerns, in the House Bill, do not even begin until 2013. The first reform group costs nothing and will at least make it possible for far more people than currently carry insurance (some are denied entirely, others who are "lucky" enough to have a state high risk pool just can't afford what insurance policies cost in that pool). Permitting delay for 1-2 years of the subsidy allows for the generation of funding - which, unfortunately, is probably a political reality
Even with a delay for subsidies - it is still far better than doing nothing until single payer is politically feasible.
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