Single Payer
For a complete statement on healthcare, click here.
Nader/Gonzalez favors a Canadian-style, private delivery, free choice of hospital and doctor, public health insurance system.
Right now, the United States spends $7,129 per capita on health care—more than twice as much per capita as the rest of the industrialized world.
And yet, the United States performs poorly in comparison on major health indicators such as life expectancy and infant mortality
While other industrialized nations like Canada and Sweden provide comprehensive coverage to their entire populations, the United States leaves 47 million completely uninsured and tens of millions more inadequately covered.
According to an Institute of Medicine report, 18,000 Americans die each year because they cannot afford health care.
And inability to pay for medical bills is the leading cause of bankruptcies – they currently contribute to about half the bankruptcies in the United States.
In our current system, there are thousands of different payers of health care fees.
This system is a bureaucratic nightmare, wasting $350 billion—close to a third of all health care spending on things that have nothing to do with health care—overhead, underwriting, billing, sales and marketing departments, huge profits and exorbitant executive pay.
In addition, there is over $200 billion in computerized billing fraud and abuse.
Nader/Gonzalez support a single payer system that would save the $350 billion and apply those savings to comprehensively cover everyone without paying more than we already do.
All Americans would be covered for all medically necessary services.
Patients would have free choice of doctor and hospital.
Costs would also be controlled in part by the single payer negotiating fees and making bulk purchases.
