Health Care Fridays: Single Payer Myths - Debunked! Part 2

I am Mary Einspahr, HECUA intern for MPIRG this semester and University of Minnesota- Twin Cities chapter member focusing on health care. I care about this issue because I believe that healthcare is a human right.

The Minnesota Health Plan is a single payer healthcare reform bill for our state that would cover 100% of Minnesotans. Single payer is health care in which all payments are under one health plan rather than over 250 for-profit insurance companies. There are many myths about single payer. I am here to debunk them for you.

Myth #2: Costs will skyrocket under single payer.

Costs will not skyrocket under single payer. Single payer is the only health care reform that will generate enough savings to insure everyone. 

Currently 31% of each health care dollar is spent on administrative costs, not health care. With single payer, we would save $350 billion a year in administrative costs and profits by eliminating the insurance industry. That savings would instead insure those who lack insurance and fully cover the under-insured. 

Upon hearing that the individual insurance companies will be eliminated under single payer you might ask, “What about my neighbor who works for Blue Cross? Will they be out of a job?”

No. If single payer health care gets adopted in Minnesota our state will need capable, experienced health insurance specialists to work for our one new insurance entity. The system will retrain those who already have the skills and acknowledge in this industry.

While more people will be seeking health insurance than are currently insured, this will still save money.  Instead of burdening our hospitals with expensive emergency room trips from people with without insurance, people will gain incentive to seek early treatment for medical problems and receive preventative care.