Based on what I've seen so far, I don't think it's a good idea at all.
Surely if this is only about "insurance" those that are uninsured can be provided with a catastrophic plan?
Why do we need an additional government bureaucracy, with all their usual inefficiency and political gamesmanship to get involved with a citizens health care needs?
Not unlike VAT, the burden of regulations and paperwork will make things less efficient, particularly with something like health care that is already heavily burdened with them.
Once in place, it will be generations before changes could be made, and then only at the margins as in other countries.
Make no mistake, this is about a whole lot more than insurance. Price controls come to mind.
As a Facebook friend told me, the Government won't simply provide insurance "Because, it has to ask itself whether contracting a company at a profit to administer a disbursement of payments to medical providers is the best use of limited resources."
Heck, I've even been told the Sanigest plan includes privatisation of the public health system. I can't find that reference though. Can someone point me to it? Which page?
I'll await to hear how vociferous the BIA is in agreeing that it supports universal health insurance when they are told what rates the government will pay them for a policy.
