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With most US based insurance being employer based I don't see how the "we only cover x because of y" really is a discriminating function between single payer vs

With most US based insurance being employer based I don't see how the "we only cover x because of y" really is a discriminating function between single payer vs multiple. My ability to choose an employer based on their health care plan is challenging at best. I may be missing something however as I mostly know the US system

sytelus 9y ago
If you have good top tier employer, chances are that you have pretty good insurance. Medical insurance is actually a criteria for lot of people for which employers to work for. This however probably applies to more skilled workers who have such choices. In single-payer, your employer no longer provides insurance. So everyone gets same plan and you are stuck with it.
- fleitz 9y ago
  Yup, the idea for for profit driven healthcare sounds bad until you consider the alternative which is cost minimization driven, the easiest way to cut costs is to not provide service
  - sjg007 9y ago
    It’s the same doctors regardless... insurance companies are cost minimizers as well.
    - digi_owl 9y ago
      Indeed. My understanding is that US hospitals will inflate their bills because they know the insurance companies will turn over every stone to find ways to drive the bill down. This in turn bites those that try to pay directly, as they end up with sticker shock.
- Symbiote 9y ago
  A top tier employer in Europe may still offer private health care insurance. When my father had cancer treatment, he sometimes asked for the public hospital (shared ward, less lonely when he was feeling OK but had to spend days in a bed) and other times the private hospital (doctors and nurses had more time, but the treatment was the same and he had a private room).
  - Feniks 9y ago
    Cultural difference. In my country everyone gets the same standard of healthcare. If you think you think you deserve special treatment just because you're rich you can fly to the US or Singapore. Strangely enough most rich people don't.
    - Symbiote 9y ago
      There is private health care in the UK and Germany. Presumably others, but not all EU countries.

sytelus 9y ago

If you have good top tier employer, chances are that you have pretty good insurance. Medical insurance is actually a criteria for lot of people for which employers to work for. This however probably applies to more skilled workers who have such choices. In single-payer, your employer no longer provides insurance. So everyone gets same plan and you are stuck with it.

fleitz 9y ago
Yup, the idea for for profit driven healthcare sounds bad until you consider the alternative which is cost minimization driven, the easiest way to cut costs is to not provide service
- sjg007 9y ago
  It’s the same doctors regardless... insurance companies are cost minimizers as well.
  - digi_owl 9y ago
    Indeed. My understanding is that US hospitals will inflate their bills because they know the insurance companies will turn over every stone to find ways to drive the bill down. This in turn bites those that try to pay directly, as they end up with sticker shock.
Symbiote 9y ago
A top tier employer in Europe may still offer private health care insurance. When my father had cancer treatment, he sometimes asked for the public hospital (shared ward, less lonely when he was feeling OK but had to spend days in a bed) and other times the private hospital (doctors and nurses had more time, but the treatment was the same and he had a private room).
- Feniks 9y ago
  Cultural difference. In my country everyone gets the same standard of healthcare. If you think you think you deserve special treatment just because you're rich you can fly to the US or Singapore. Strangely enough most rich people don't.
  - Symbiote 9y ago
    There is private health care in the UK and Germany. Presumably others, but not all EU countries.