Across the country, single-payer measures will appear on November ballots. At BenefitsPRO, we've covered the call for universal health care extensively, but we wanted to hear from our educated community of experts what they think about the issue. Here, spme of them weigh in on what single payer would mean for their own businesses, for citizens in the states looking to pass it, and more broadly at health care in general. 

The 4 Cs

We have a few primary concerns with the "Medicare for All" system:

  1. Capacity: The ability to fulfill the needs of our insured clients within a tight timeframe. The American public is still not ready to purchase medical insurance coverage with the complex regulations by themselves and need the guidance more than ever.

  2. Compensation: Contrary to the beliefs of many, we do run businesses and must generate revenue. The ROI on individual business is constantly under our microscope as to whether it adds value to our business or creates liability risk.

  3. Competition: With the exodus of carriers on the state exchanges, we will be at the mercy of the remaining carriers for premiums, networks, revenue, etc. Our primary concern is the liability of lawsuits filed from individuals who were mandated to purchase coverage, yet did not understand the product they elected when claims are filed.

  4. Compliance: The amount of time spent each year on certification for the "opportunity" to do business is becoming overwhelming. Toss in continuing education requirements, securities licensing/training, property/casualty obligations, etc. and you have a major time tax. We've embraced new opportunities to serve our clients in either the current system or a "Medicare for All." In its basic form, it is health care—treatment, claims, providers, payers, and professional guidance. We may not agree with a single-payer system, but we feel we are prepared to make the necessary changes to remain a constant in our market.

Jerry DeatherageNational Employer Solutions Team, LLC (NEST)

Skyrocketing costs

single-payer system will not address the underlining cause behind high health insurance rates which is skyrocketing health care costs. In addition, I think that a single payer system will curtail medical innovation and dissuade people from entering into the medical field.

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