Podcast Episode 50: Digging Deeper into the Challenges of a Single-Payer System – Part III

In the third part of this mini-series on single-payer systems, Suzanne Spradley and Chase Cannon focus on the challenges of funding a single-payer system, with a focus on the single-payer proposal put forth by Senator Bernie Sanders. Suzanne explains that the Sanders plan is a comprehensive first-dollar government-financed health insurance plan for all Americans, and is therefore very expensive. Suzanne outlines the taxes that would have to be raised and to what extent, and discusses studies that outline the total amounts of tax increases for both individuals and businesses. Suzanne and Chase discuss the different purported savings and efficiencies under the Sanders proposal, and how various studies dispute them. The two address different aspects of current inefficiencies in US-run programs, including waste, fraud and abuse in the current Medicare system. The two conclude that funding a single-payer system in any form will be a huge challenge; one that will be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to overcome for those that support such a system.