Full access
Letter to the Editor
Published Online: 7 May 2004

More on Single Payer

Randall F. White, M.D.Authors Info & Affiliations
Publication: Psychiatric News
Volume 39, Number 9
https://doi.org/10.1176/pn.39.9.0066a
The debate over health care reform is lively among physicians, if not among policymakers at the national level. That may change as the November election approaches. It is vital that our profession be informed and active in this debate and help our patients understand the issues.
I must disagree with Dr. Monique Masse, who wrote in the March 5 issue that a single-payer system is not realistic. Every other advanced nation has a government-administered health plan. I doubt that her suggestion, medical savings accounts, has ever been applied to an entire society. How could such an untested approach be realistic? Furthermore, I fail to see how it would solve the problem of uninsurance.
Ours is the only advanced nation with million of citizens without coverage, who are at risk of bankruptcy or even death as a consequence of the cost of medical care. According to the Institute of Medicine, “lack of health insurance causes roughly 18,000 unnecessary deaths every year in the United States.” That is unconscionable.
Medical care does not conform to the free-market economic model for a variety of reasons. Consumers, that is, patients, are not truly free agents, and physicians have a different kind of relationship with patients than car salespersons have with customers.
The managed-care market approach has made no one happy except overpaid insurance executives. It’s time for a single-payer plan, the only real solution to our crisis. To learn more, I encourage readers to visit the Physicians for a National Health Plan Web site at www.pnhp.org.

Information & Authors

Information

Published In

Go to Psychiatric News
Psychiatric News
Volume 39 • Number 9 • May 7, 2004
Pages: 66

History

Published online: 7 May 2004
Published in print: May 7, 2004

Authors

Affiliations

Randall F. White, M.D.
Atlanta, Ga.
View all articles by this author

Metrics & Citations

Metrics

Citations

Export Citations

If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.

For more information or tips please see 'Downloading to a citation manager' in the Help menu.

Format
Citation style
Style
Copy to clipboard
Tips for downloading citations

There are no citations for this item

View Options

View options

Get Access

Login options

Already a subscriber? Access your subscription through your login credentials or your institution for full access to this article.

Personal login Institutional Login Open Athens login

Not a subscriber?

Subscribe Now / Learn More

PsychiatryOnline subscription options offer access to the DSM-5-TR® library, books, journals, CME, and patient resources. This all-in-one virtual library provides psychiatrists and mental health professionals with key resources for diagnosis, treatment, research, and professional development.

Need more help? PsychiatryOnline Customer Service may be reached by emailing [email protected] or by calling 800-368-5777 (in the U.S.) or 703-907-7322 (outside the U.S.).

Media

Figures

Other

Tables

Share

Share

Share article link

Share

×

As described within the American Psychiatric Association (APA)'s Privacy Policy and Terms of Use, this website utilizes cookies, including for the purpose of offering an optimal online experience and services tailored to your preferences. Please read the entire Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. By closing this message, browsing this website, continuing the navigation, or otherwise continuing to use the APA's websites, you confirm that you understand and accept the terms of the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use, including the utilization of cookies.