While Vermont and the rest of the nation struggle to phase in Obamacare, we should keep in mind that even when fully implemented Obamacare will not insure everyone. According to recent Census Bureau estimates, in 2012 there were 48 million uninsured Americans. It is estimated that 48,000 Americans died needlessly last year because they couldn’t get access to timely and appropriate care. If and when Obamacare is fully implemented, there will still be about 30 million uninsured Americans.
It makes me think that we need to go beyond Obamacare and swiftly move to a single payer, Improved-Medicare-For-All program. Such a program seems to be the best way to assure universal high-quality coverage for everyone. Such a program would also rid us of the scourge of insurance-company-related waste, bureaucracy, and profiteering.
Such a program would save lives and money.
Vermont is trying to implement its own universal single payer plan, and is spending millions of dollars to do so. I’m not sure that we can be successful, but even if we are, we would likely be better served by a plan that treats all Americans the same.
G. RICHARD DUNDAS, MD
Bennington