Well the thing is, UHC is clearly superior, but I have said in the past, I do not know how you can retroactively fix the US system to be one, it just doesn't seem possible because of the way its structured between all the different states, insurance providers, networks, it just doesn't seem feasible.
Unless you nationalized the entire industry, from top to bottom, which is not possible, would never fly, I just don't see how you can do it, because how else are you also supposed to fix the entire cost structure without killing every point of service provider?
Medicare doesn't nationalize service providers, and sets the prices it will pay based on regional pricing. Which Cartels have price fixed way, way up.
It's actually quite a simple fix, and it involves the VA. It's common knowledge that we need more VA hospitals as is to meet current Veteran demand. So build them. And instead of Medicare using a regional average cost, they use the Cost of the VA in that area. That VA has to pay their doctors, pay for durable medical equipment, everything a hospital has to do, but as efficiently as possible with no profit motive. That will give us a real look at what healthcare costs.
Once we have a look at the real cost nationwide. We expand medicare to everyone. And let insurance companies make their money off supplements.
Medicare that everyone gets for free is called Part A. Part B, the 80/20 coverage, usually comes in at around 120 bucks a month. That would go down as healthy people got onto Part B. Right now it's just people over 65, and those younger people that qualify because of disability. People usually get a supplement for their part B, to cover that 20 percent.
This would hurt the profit margins of an industry that rakes in more than Oil and Tobacco combined while operating as non profits. But it wouldn't put them out of business, hinder their expansion, or require them to be nationalized. While still allowing insurance companies a way to market plans.
So in short, if we fix the VA, and have Medicare base their prices on what it costs the VA to operate, and give everyone Medicare Part A, with an option for Part B, it will work just fine.