2009 House Bill 4466: Create “single payer” government health insurance system

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Introduced by Rep. Bert Johnson (D) on February 25, 2009, to establish a government-run "single payer" state health care system. The government would eventually essentially take over all health insurance in the state and ration health care services for Michigan residents. The bill establishes a variety of government boards and commission that would make decisions regarding which treatments and services would be covered, and decide most other aspects of health care delivery in the state. The bill does not specify how this would be paid for.
- Referred to the House Health Policy Committee on February 25, 2009.

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1) Re: 2009 House Bill 4466 (Create “single payer” government health insurance system ) by bestgaffer on April 5, 2009

Perhaps some of you should ask doctors how well medicare works. Then take a look at how the government handles the veterans' insurance. Then look at other programs the government runs. Find me one that really works effectively and efficiently and I might consider this. In the meantime, I know many Canadians. How would you like to wait in line for required surgery? How about a limit on how many of those surgeries can be performed each year. These are real folks. Pay attention. Keep government out of your life as much as you can. Take responsibility for yourself.

Our health costs are tremendously high, but the government won't lower them. They'll have to increase the size of government to handle health care. Why don't they do something to get rid of the lobbies that add cost? Why does the medical field write off what your insurance doesn't consider "reasonable" fees, and yet still charge the poor person who can't afford insurance the entire cost??? There's lots of room for improvement, but having government handle it, just doesn't cut it. Why does our government have free health care for life???? (free to them - you pay for it for them)

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2) Re: 2009 House Bill 4466 (Create “single payer” government health insurance system ) by gypsy on March 31, 2009

You will find, bp, that not much research goes on in this forum. Mostly it's talking points from faux news and lumping any proposed bill in the "tyranny" category.

We have a single payer government health system now, for people 65 and over, that works quite well. Medicare takes 2 to 3% for administration cost to provide healthcare for every dollar spent, while insurance takes 18 to 20%.

And you are entirely correct about outcomes. The US ranks higher for infant mortality than both Canada and the UK, actually higher than Cuba too. The only thing we excel at is what we spend for medical care.

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3) Re: 2009 House Bill 4466 (Create “single payer” government health insurance system ) by bpbarbcab on March 31, 2009

if you do a little searching you will find that we have the highest cost associated with health care and some of the lowest patient outcomes. And ya, outcomes are pretty important when it's you lying in that hospital bed.

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