Why does the Minnesota Chamber oppose single-payer health insurance?
In a single-payer health system, the government – or an entity within the government – pays everyone’s health care costs by taxing individuals and employers. Proponents argue that having a single payer system would eliminate administrative bureaucracy, thereby reducing costs. If that is the case, it would likely be the first government program to ever reduce bureaucracy. The Minnesota Chamber is skeptical of single-payer insurance because it fails to address the fundamental problems within the system. By eliminating competition, there would be no incentive to improve quality or cost – the two underlying problems – and patients would only be further insulated from knowing the actual costs of their care. The actual cost of ‘free’ health care in terms of dollars and quality of care is an unacceptable alternative.
