Who pays biggest (heathcare) tab? Taxpayers [View All]

a great editorial on why we should have a national healthcare system. lots of deliciously presented facts.

Here’s news for anyone who opposes a taxpayer-financed system of health care in the United States: The country already has one. More than one. Public dollars subsidize health care at every turn.

According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid, the government picks up nearly 44 percent of the cost of health care in the United States. Medicare, for seniors and the disabled; Medicaid, for the poor; and health insurance for veterans are all government systems of care. All are funded with taxpayer dollars.

Plus, public employees’ health insurance is at least partially subsidized with tax dollars. In the Des Moines schools, for example, tax dollars paid $36.2 million for workers' health care last fiscal year, the equivalent of salaries alone for about 840 teachers.

...

The current system isn’t fair, though. Uninsured workers pay taxes to fund others’ care, but have none for themselves.

http://desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051206/OPINION03/51205019/1035/OPINION

it then goes on to name a number of reasons why it's not fair. a really good editorial imho.