Dear Friends,
The way some people talk about single-payer health care makes it sound like a dream.
No waiting on hold with your insurance company . . . no worrying about copays . . . no having to select from just in-network physicians . . .
Who wouldn’t want that?
The truth is completely different.
Single-payer health care is
very bad news for patients and taxpayers alike.
As a supporter of PRI, you know that we’ve written extensively on the high human and financial costs of single-payer health care.
Most recently, our
Center for Health Care played a leading role in educating policymakers, the media, and concerned citizens about
Assembly Bill 1400, which would have effectively abolished private health insurance and enrolled all 39 million California residents in a new government-run plan, called CalCare.
The bill died in the state Assembly on Monday after legislators failed to gather enough votes to move forward ahead of a key deadline. The plan called for a tax increase of at least $163 billion — more than California raised in total tax revenue in any year prior to 2020.
In my op-eds, radio interviews, and other media appearances, I explained how single-payer health care programs in other countries have been plagued by doctor and hospital shortages; long waiting times; rationed treatment; and substandard care. I also explained how increasing taxes yet again could drive even more residents and businesses out of the state.
Click here to watch my interview on the “California Insider.”
At PRI, we believe it’s high time for an in-depth discussion about how to achieve to affordable, accessible, quality health care for all Americans.
And other states need to pay attention. After all, blue state policies tend to bleed over into red state policymaking . . . and voters and legislators across the nation need to be informed about the example California sets.
By donating today at
www.pacificresearch.org/support-pri/ you will help us expand our efforts shape the debate over the true costs of single-payer health care . . . in California and across the nation.
Thank you for standing with PRI.
Sincerely,
Sally C. Pipes
President, CEO, and Thomas W. Smith Fellow in Health Care Policy
Pacific Research Institute
