In a bizarre tribute to the value of half-truths, the Sacramento Bee reports
that SB562's single-payer health care will cost $50 million more than
the combined total of current state and private employer health care
spending. The mendacity of this reporting is breathtaking since it's
uncontroversial that single-payer systems worldwide cost roughly half
what U.S. patients pay and deliver better outcomes. The World Health
Organization's comprehensive survey of various countries' health care
systems outcomes done in 2000 ranks the U.S.' current system 37th,
between Costa Rica and Slovenia. Previous Bee reporting said "It's as
though we have the health care of Costa Rica but pay six times more for
the privilege."
So what happened that Sacramento's last remaining traditional newspaper betrays its supposedly "liberal" bias to omit these inconvenient truths? Could a paper with a history of labor troubles and multimillionaire CEO not be so "liberal" after all? Is this a head fake?
Who knows...?
The critical omission, incidentally, is that the Bee mentions state and employer health care costs, but leaves out employee charges. Would single-payer be cheaper if that last bit were included in the cost accounting? ...and is that pope fellow still Catholic?
So what happened that Sacramento's last remaining traditional newspaper betrays its supposedly "liberal" bias to omit these inconvenient truths? Could a paper with a history of labor troubles and multimillionaire CEO not be so "liberal" after all? Is this a head fake?
Who knows...?
The critical omission, incidentally, is that the Bee mentions state and employer health care costs, but leaves out employee charges. Would single-payer be cheaper if that last bit were included in the cost accounting? ...and is that pope fellow still Catholic?
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