The chairman of the Missouri Chapter of Physicians for a National Health Program says the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, does many things to help Americans, and will save lives. But Ed Weisbart says it doesn’t “go far enough.”
Weisbart says the insurance industry siphons off much of the money spent on health care. He says problems with Medicare should be fixed, and then the program expanded to include Americans regardless of age. Weisbart was in Kalamazoo to speak with physicians. He also sat down with WMUK’s Gordon Evans to discuss why he thinks a “single payer” system would be the best solution for health care problems in the United States.
Asked if that would be a government takeover of health care, Wesibart says “no.” He says a single payer system would be more of a “free market” approach to health care. Weisbart says currently people end up changing doctors because of insurance coverage. He says people should be choosing doctors based on satisfaction with service, not because their employer changes insurance providers.
Weisbart says there is physician support a single-payer system for health care in the United States. He says polling shows about 59% of doctors favor a single-payer system. Weisbart says doctors see their patients not seeking treatment because of financial barriers. He says a single payer system would help with legal issues such as malpractice.
Asked if the United States can afford a single payer health care system, Weisbart says “We can’t afford not to do this.” He says there would be new costs, but there would also be savings. Weisbart says the money spent on health care and health insurance is limiting the United States’ “ability to compete as a nation.”
