Current Events

The Government still dominates the U.S.’s supposed ‘private’ health care system

A very interesting article in the L.A. Times (“Defining government’s role in healthcare“) points out the following:

Though many Americans may not realize it, government is already the dominant player in healthcare, with federal and state expenditures accounting for 47% of the projected $2.3 trillion the nation will spend this year. Indeed, many private insurers follow the lead of the biggest government program, Medicare, in setting coverage policies.

Even if nothing changes, government will pick up more than half the nation’s healthcare tab by 2017. Universal coverage proposals from the leading Democratic presidential candidates would advance that tipping point to 2011, according to a recent analysis by the consulting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers …

“If we are going to get to broad-based reform, it’s not going to be the model of government paying for most of it,” said health economist Mark McClellan, who served as Bush’s Medicare administrator. “Rather, it’s coverage that would provide help from the government but expect real contributions from individuals, with partial subsidies at higher income levels.”

Thanks to Michael Cannon for the link.