Other Providers

Single-payer health care is an American term describing the payment for doctors, hospitals and other providers for health care from a single fund. The Canadian health care system and Medicare in the U.S. for the elderly are single-payer systems. more...

Home
A/V Accessories & Cables
DVD & Home Theater
Gadgets & Other Electronics
Heating, Cooling & Air
Home Audio
Lamps, Lighting, Ceiling...
Major Appliances
Outdoor Power Equipment
Satellite, Cable TV
Cable TV Boxes
Other Satellite, Cable TV
Satellite Dishes
Satellite Receivers, High...
Satellite Receivers,...
Satellite Systems
DIRECTV
Dish Network
Other Providers
Satellite, Cable TV Accs
Televisions
Vacuum Cleaners &...

According to the National Library of Medicine, a "Single-Payer System" is

An approach to health care financing with only one source of money for paying health care providers. The scope may be national (the Canadian System), state-wide, or community-based. The payer may be a governmental unit or other entity such as an insurance company. The proposed advantages include administrative simplicity for patients and providers, and resulting significant savings in overhead costs. (From Slee and Slee, Health Care Reform Terms, 1993, p106) Year introduced: 1996

Some writers argue that the single payer is the government, but the preceding definition as well as some single-payer proponents in the U.S. leave the government's role open to interpretation.

Single payer is one alternative proposed for reforming the U.S. health care system. Proponents argue that it would provide universal coverage with at least the same quality and lower costs. Critics argue that single payer would harm quality and innovation and advocate tax code incentives and free market approaches instead.

The term single-payer is often used in the U.S. to distinguish systems paid from a single source with other systems of universal health care in which the government has a higher degree of control, up to and including administering hospitals and employing doctors and staff. (See socialized medicine.) Under single payer, doctors' practices and hospitals may remain private and negotiate for payments with the government.

Types and variations

Canada is an example of single-payer health care. The national government provides part of the funding, provincial governments manage the hospitals (and provide the brunt of the funding), and doctors in private practice contract with the government for fee-for-service payments. Many Canadian citizens have supplemental health insurance, which covers expenses not covered by Canadian Medicare. Fees for doctors, hospitals and other providers are set by negotiations among doctors' associations, provincial or regional governments, and the national government. Global budgets eliminate the cost of billing individually for huge numbers of products and services.

The United States and Australia also have single-payer health insurance programs named Medicare; however, Australia's program provides universal health insurance, while U.S. Medicare is only for senior citizens and the disabled. Government is increasingly involved in U.S. health care spending, paying about 45 percent of the $2.2 trillion the nation spent on medical care in 2004.

Read more at Wikipedia.org