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Most Minnesota doctors like single-payer health care, academic study finds
The Minnesota Health Plan would move health insurance out of the private sector and create a system where one payer — Minnesota — would cover everyone in the state based on his or her ability to pay. The bill, authored by Sen. John Marty, DFL-Roseville, is an example of a single-payer health care system and it has the support of a majority of physicians in Minnesota, according to the latest survey.
For more on Minnesota health care legislation, see Minnesota Health Plan draws citizen support, passes committee by Andy Birkey, Minnesota Monitor.
Dr. Dick Adair, a 65-year-old physician, said that the current system is not only having an impact on patients, but also on physicians. “The financial burden of caring for uninsured people is driving some doctors out of primary care and into better-paying specialties, at a time when we need more primary care doctors,” he said.
In his years as a physician, he has seen a sharp change in how physicians look at health care. “Having lunch with other doctors used to mean listening to conservatives griping about the government. Now lunchroom talk is that single-payer would be a good idea,” said Adair.
A recent survey through the University of Minnesota and St. Olaf College found that 64 percent of Minnesota’s physicians support a single-payer system much like the Minnesota Health Plan. Another 25 percent said that health savings accounts were the way to go, and only 12 percent thought that the current system of managed care was adequate.
“I personally feel very angry and frustrated when I know my patients are not getting the care that they deserve,” said Dr. Elizabeth Frost, a supporter of the Minnesota Health Plan. “I hate saying to people, ‘you need this test or this study,’ all the while knowing they don’t have insurance and likely don’t have a lot of savings either.”
Of the reasons that a single-payer system is so attractive to the majority of physicians in Minnesota is that the current multi-payer, managed-care system often gets in the way of physicians’ ability to provide the care that they swore an oath to provide.
Most Minnesota doctors like single-payer health care, academic study finds
Dr. Ann Settgast explained the problems trying to provide care under the current system. “When we are limited by the lack of insurance or under-insurance, it becomes frustrating, and we are not able to do our jobs properly.” Settgast provides a typical example of caring for a patient with high blood pressure. “We know that with proper monitoring and follow-up, we can control this with ease and prevent devastating complications such as strokes and heart attacks,” she said. “However, we take care of patients who cannot come to appointments with us or cannot afford to take the medications we prescribe because their co-pay is too high, and these are patients with insurance,” she said.
Because of these barriers people often under-use the system, “as opposed to the overuse that people erroneously cite as a significant problem in the current system,” said Settgast. “This under-use leads to unnecessary human suffering and also financial waste because the cost of caring for a patient with a stroke far exceeds the cost of effectively managing someone’s high blood pressure.”
That example is one of hundreds that testify to the importance of a single-payer system to many physicians, a system that many have come around to in recent years.
On a national level, Frost said that a single-payer system would be ideal. “I support a single-payer system specifically, instead of a universal insurance patchwork like [Sen. Hillary Clinton] and [Sen. Barack Obama], because it makes so much more sense,” she said. “The problem with the bureaucracy of the myriad insurance companies is that each differs from each other, and their ultimate goal is to deny claims and save money. There is a reason why my insured patient with post-polio syndrome never got his electric wheelchair even after a year-and-a-half of trying, and it is not related to lack of medical need,” she argues. In a single-payer system, “the ultimate goal would be to provide not deny.”
Settgast agreed. “As a physician, my job would become simpler as I could make medical decisions based on my expertise and the patients’ best interests — not based on regulations [from insurance companies] that often do not have these interests in mind,” she said. “The single-payer solution is the only choice that makes sense given my motivation to provide the highest-quality care to each of my patients.”
Comments
Physicians support of Single payer
Hi,
As a physician and single payer advocate, I’m very encouraged by these results.
I Googled around trying to find the actual survey from UMinn and St. Olaf’s without success. Any idea where I might find the actual survey questions and results?
Cheers,
Physician Support of Single Payer
One can find this study in the Magazine ‘Minnesota Medicine’ from February 2007. You can get there by googling ‘Minnesota Medicine Single Payer’. Thanks for the article, Andy!
Single payer health insurace.
Those suggesting a single payer health insurance plan seem to not be aware of the dynamics of the health insurance marketplace or the economics of this market.
Currently in Minnesota there is absolutely no reason for any individual to be without health insurance unless they choose to be without health insurance. Health insurance is, after all, voluntary. If you choose to go without health insurance you are voluntarily agreeing to assume all of the financial risks of not having health insurance. You are agreeing to pay for all of your health care costs out of your own pocket.
If a person does not have health insurance through an employer they can purchase any number of different individual health insurance plans. In applying for individual health insurance, the insurance company can only do one of three things with the application. The insurance company can accept the person as being a standard or normal risk; they can deny coverage because of health risk factors; or they can offer coverage with an increased premium.
In either of the latter two scenarios, coverage being denied or offered other than as applied for, the person can then apply to Minnesota Comprehensive Health Association (MCHA) and they will be guaranteed to get one of the MCHA health insurance plan.
The affordability issues for health insurance are addressed through a number of different government programs including MinnesotaCare, Medical Assistance, Medicaid, SCHIP, etc.
While health insurance is voluntary, auto insurance is mandated. Yet the percentage of uninsured motorists in Minnesota is estimated to be significantly higher than the percentage of people without health insurance.
Since auto insurance in mandated, everyone with a car is required by law to have auto insurance, why is part of our auto insurance premiums for uninsured motorists?
Not only is it required that we carry auto insurance, it is also required that one has a valid driver’s license when they are driving. I would suggest that there are at least three families in Cottonwood, MN. who are wondering what good did it do to have a law that you have to have a valid driver’s license and auto insurance.
Rather than involving the government more in health insurance, we need to have less governmental involvement with health insurance. It has been shown that it costs 250% more to provide health insurance for government workers that for workers in the private sector. Why would we want to face a 250% increase in cost of health insurance by involving more government? This cost would most like result if fewer services and less health care. It could well result in rationing health care.
Would it not be better to work toward cost transparency in our health care system? Try asking a health care provider what the price of a service or procddure is?
Would it not be better to have doctors compensated more for good outcomes rather than be paid more for more procedures being performed? Shouldn’t we work toward best medical practices?
Finally, shouldn’t each of us have some degree of accountability for our own health? What are we doing to be healthy? Are we excersizing regularly? Is our diet appropriate? Are we doing everything possible to controll our weight, blood pressure, chlorestol level, stress level, tobacco usage, etc.?
single payer
Just because the study found a majority of MDs favored single payer doesn’t mean it’s a good idea. Doctors are lousy businessmen and economists. Why do you think we went into medicine in the first place?
Single Payer Insurance
I think this would actually be a really great idea. As a citizen of the United States, I know how it is to vie for health insurance and only be denied or offered high premium rates. It is important that our lawmakers pass health insurance regulations that will cater to everyone. It is very upsetting that primary care doctors are shying away because of the lack of ability for Americans to pay their medical bills. With a single-payer health plan, many more people will be able to get treated and more primary care doctors will be around to do what they are supposed to do.
Senators Obama and Clinton also have plan that I believe could be a solution. Just as in England, everyone will have access to proper medical insurance to ensure they get the attention they need. To me, that’s what it’s all about.
Frontline Documentary
I found the PBS Frontline documentary about health care systems around the world to be a great perspective builder. Not exhaustive, more one reporter's survey and opinion than in-depth study, but more than I knew before. You can watch it online: Sick Around the World.
Single payer is a sham, in
Single payer is a sham, in my honest opinion. But it’s a better sham than the current private system in which we live. BTW, I tried S. Lanier’s link about Obama and Clinton, and found that it doesn’t work. If you cut out the gobbely gook around the address bar, you end up with the correct link, which turned out to be a decent comparison of Barack Obama and John McCain’s health care plans.
I think that this is a good
I think that this is a good idea, but it will no be sustainable. This industry moves billions and there is a lot to profit from insurance companies.
I think the single payer is
I think the single payer is a great idea because it focuses on the patients.
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