What Is Single Payer Health Care?
History of a single Payer Program
In 1987, a group of doctors watched corporations turn the human desire to be healthy into a profit stream. Their response was Physicians for a National Health Program (PNHP), a nonprofit organization of physicians, medical students, and other health professionals united around a simple answer:
A single-payer healthcare system that puts patients before profits. Join us in building a healthcare system guided by need, not the ability to pay.
There are PNHP chapters in every state. We are the West Virginia chapter.
Today, a groundswell of health advocacy groups and members of the public across the United States share that vision. Join us in building a healthcare system guided by need, not the ability to pay.
What is a single payer healthcare system?
A single-payer system means one public program — funded by healthcare premiums — pays for everyone's health care, replacing private insurance companies. Doctors and hospitals stay independent; only the payer changes. Medicare for All is the leading single-payer proposal in the U.S. It would expand the existing Medicare program to cover every American, eliminating copays, no deductibles, no caps, no surprise bills, no confusing paperwork, no appeals, no yearly enrollment, no medical bankruptcy.
*Alternative names: Universal Healthcare, Public Option, National health insurance, or Government-funded healthcareGovernment-funded healthcare
three reformers with a plan
Senator Bernie Sanders and Congresswomen Debbie Dingle and Pramila Jayapal proposed the Medicare For All Act, a single-payer plan, in 2021, 2023, and 2025. It died each time without debate, without a vote.
If the bill had passed, every person in the U.S. who has income from any source would pay a small premium based on their annual income. That’s it. No bills to pay, copays, no deductibles, no caps, no surprise bills, no confusing paperwork, no appeals, no yearly enrollment, no medical bankruptcy.
Senator Bernie Sanders &
Congresswomen Debbie Dingell and Pramila Jayapal
Medicare for All: what it would Your Premium be?
Go to the national PNHP website *Household Savings Calculator. Try it.
*Note: Individual cost may differ (up or down) based on the economy when the bill is passed
Is the COVID-19 vaccine an example of single-payer care?
Yes. The federal government purchased and distributed the vaccine directly, at no cost to patients, regardless of insurance status
Our Commitment to Change
Reforming the American health care system is crucial to ensuring that everyone can access quality care. PNHP West Virginia is dedicated to advocating for equitable healthcare solutions that ensure everyone has access to the care they need. Here’s how:
Community
Support
Build a dedicated network to support those at risk of losing their coverage, ensuring they have access to necessary healthcare information and resources.
change
policies
Work tirelessly to influence policy makers to understand the importance of a universally accessible healthcare system that does not discriminate based on economic status.
innovative
solutions
Collaborate with healthcare providers and innovators to find sustainable solutions to the shortages and inefficiencies plaguing the current system.