Issues

Single-Payer Health Plans

At Issue

A single-payer health system is a healthcare delivery mechanism sponsored and administered by a single entity, usually the government of a state or nation. Single-payer plans are also commonly referred to as "universal coverage plans" or "socialized medicine." They are often proposed as a solution to the problem of the uninsured since they provide comprehensive coverage to a set population. In 1993, President Clinton proposed the Health Security Act which would have created a national single-payer system in the United States. While that measure was soundly defeated in Congress, since that time the idea of universal coverage has been a hotly debated topic both on Capitol Hill and in state legislatures nationwide.

NAHU's Position

NAHU opposes the creation of a single-payer health system in the United States. We believe that private market solutions to the problem of the uninsured, such as the NAHU tax credit proposal and others, are a much better way of ensuring that Americans have access to high-quality and affordable healthcare that is tailored to each person's individual needs. Real Choice is NAHU's road map for reform and expansion of health insurance coverage in America. With the ultimate goal of making affordable private health insurance available to all Americans, Real Choice sets forth a series of policy recommendations building on choice and the strengths of our private health care system.

What Others Are Saying

Many people who favor a universal coverage system in the United States argue that such a system would provide all citizens with access to high-quality comprehensive health coverage. But at the same time, many other consumer groups feel that single-payer health plans deny care to those who need it most. They point to lessons and statistics from other countries that have implemented single-payer systems to show that such plans lead to medical rationing and can limit an individual's access to the most up-to-date medical technologies. They also point out that single-payer systems often shortchange physicians and other health care providers, and that they frequently contain hidden administrative costs that have a negative impact on the quality of patient care and coverage.

NAHU's Actions

Since the Clinton Administration's universal healthcare proposal of 1993, NAHU has been actively working to educate the public about the harm a single-payer health system would cause to consumers. NAHU has developed a number of informational resources concerning single-payer health plans, including:

• The Problem of the Uninsured (PDF: You must have Adobe Acrobat Reader to view this file.)
• Single-Payer Talking Points
• Fact Sheet on State-Level Single-Payer Initiatives (PDF: You must have Adobe Acrobat Reader to view this file.)

Additional Resources

Health Care Rationing: Government Created Problems and Market Solutions

Canadian Health Care - A System in Collapse

The Heritage Foundation's Backgrounder: What States Can Teach Congress About Health Care Regulation (PDF: You must have Adobe Acrobat Reader to view this file.)