A single-payer alternative

Interesting guest opinion on Dec. 30 (“Single-payer health plans will save Americans trillions,” Caroline Avery). Everybody is caught up in “Medicare for All.” A single-payer insurer doesn’t have to be government-run. It could, and probably should, be a quasi-public nonprofit corporation with good regulation.

This entity would replace all the private insurers (which skim 15%-30% off the top of every health care dollar for administration, executive over-payments and dividends) with a single entity that would be managed like Medicare (which has around 3.5% administration fee and could probably use more for fraud investigators for the constant fraud committed by the private sector to Medicare).

This entity would offer half a dozen plans, be mandatory, and pay premiums directly to the entity that would cover the cost of health care.

Employers could offer any or all of their plans to employees and, if needed, collect and remit the premiums to the single-payer. Medical care providers remain private with price regulation, including drugs.

Eric Johnson

Spokane