The Insurance industry employs 2.3 million people - none who heal the sick

From the U.S. Department of Labor:

'The insurance industry had about 2.3 million wage and salary jobs in 2006. Insurance carriers accounted for 62 percent of jobs, while insurance agencies, brokerages, and providers of other insurance-related services accounted for 38 percent of jobs.'

'The insurance industry consists mainly of insurance carriers (or insurers) and insurance agencies and brokerages. In general, insurance carriers are large companies that provide insurance and assume the risks covered by the policy. Insurance agencies and brokerages sell insurance policies for the carriers. While some of these establishments are directly affiliated with a particular insurer and sell only that carrier’s policies, many are independent and are thus free to market the policies of a variety of insurance carriers. In addition to supporting these two primary components, the insurance industry includes establishments that provide other insurance-related services, such as claims adjustment or third-party administration of insurance and pension funds.

These other insurance industry establishments also include a number of independent organizations that provide a wide array of insurance-related services to carriers and their clients. One such service is the processing of claims forms for medical practitioners. Other services include loss prevention and risk management. Also, insurance companies sometimes hire independent claims adjusters to investigate accidents and claims for property damage and to assign a dollar estimate to the claim.'

http://www.bls.gov/oco/cg/cgs028.htm

Notice the lack of 'MEDICINE' or 'HEALTH' in the description. Insurers (especially health insurers) are a bunch of bookies, gangsters and pencil pushers who we have let convince us of their necessity. The hard truth is they are not necessary for our health and will ultimately go the way of typewriter companies.

etc AND health insurance workers?

the sick.

Both are examples of handlers of healthcare.

One difference is that a profit is part of the system, and other is that profit is not a part of the system. That's a big difference.

But the workers who handle the system, negotiate prices, etc. - their not being healthcare providers has nothing to do with the argument for single payer.

Take the profits away and things will change. Give the healers the money, that's who deserves it.

Anytime tax dollars pay for medical care, that care is negotiated price-wise even more stringently than the private insurers do it. Example: Medicare.

That is one strike against single payer, BTW. Great Britain and Canada both have shortages of doctors, because they don't get paid very much, compared to the U.S. So to invest all that time and money into becoming a doctor isn't worth it, I guess.

That's what I've read, anyway.

If money is the sole motivator for caregivers and providers then I think the problem is unsolvable.

by someone who wants to get paid what s/he thinks s/he is worth, based on the years of training and education s/he put into it?

Have you offered your paycheck back to your employer because you care about what you do and you care about the company? Or given back all the monies you're paid that exceed the bare minimum of what you need to subsist?

A person can be good at providing health care, and get paid well at the same time, just like a mechanic can do work on a car and get paid what he thinks he's worth for his level of experience. In fact, people who get paid what they believe they are worth...who believe they are valued...probably perform better.

Consider that doctors spend a decade or more in school and residency, doing very hard work during that decade, and spending I don't know how many thousands of dollars on that education.

I may get flamed here but I worked as a case manager in a social services agency filling out paper work for both disabled and elderly clients - not once did I actually do real hands on care for any of my clients. Sure the law required that the paper work be completed so they could get the care they needed but the truth is that the doctors office was already doing it and I was merely duplicating.

If we found some way to end this need for duplication it would save a bundle of money. Simplifying the laws would be a start. Consolidating things under single payer type offices would be another. We are a nation that will spend any amount of money to find that dime we think someone is not entitled to but not one willing cent to take care of the needy.