Proposals for a "single-payer" health care system like the NHS -- in which all citizens would pay into a single risk pool, which would cover most of their medic

Proposals for a "single-payer" health care system like the NHS -- in which all citizens would pay into a single risk pool, which would cover most of their medical costs -- have been floated repeatedly in the US -- for example, as I recall, by Hillary Clinton during her husband's first term. They tend to be pretty popular with Democrats, AFAIK, but the Republicans have always bitterly opposed them. The US actually has a single-payer health care system, called Medicare, for people 65 and older. It's wildly popular with the people who benefit from it, of both parties. It seems to be pretty well-run and to exert at least some useful downward pressure on costs. Extending it to all citizens doesn't seem like that big a leap to me. Of course it would all but obliterate the existing insurance industry, which has bought itself a lot of Congresscritters. I think it would be a fascinating and hilarious irony if Trump came out supporting single-payer in the form of universal Medicare. I think the argument for having a single risk pool is very strong. And I don't see any other solution to the interlocking problems of containing costs (which are way out of hand here) and getting everyone insured. Trump (whom I voted against, BTW) has shown he's not afraid to go against the Republican establishment. I think when he really looks at this problem he may come to this conclusion.