February Programming Committee Member
Wendy Lapidus introduced our speaker with a political hot topic as healthcare plans and reform is a major issue in the Presidential campaigns making news…

Don Marx
“Solutions to the Health Care Dilemma” Single Payer

Don Marx  is married 33 years, he is a member Toastmasters for 33 years with 3 sons.  He has been  37 years  in the insurance industry and feels very strongly that while the U.S. medical system is flawed, it should not be changed to a Single Payer system based upon Canada’s and the UK’s system. 

As a health insurance salesman, Mr. Marx believes that a single payer system could be closer than you think – an unprecedented number of universal coverage initiatives were debated in the states and in the city councils of several major municipalities. 

Don believes that what works for 85% of the system should not be thrown out.  No one wants to limit what they have access to when they need it. 

The US Government  buys 40% of all of the healthcare today.  Should there be incentives to maintain health? 

Don projects that if a single payor system is implemented, all will encounter long delays in receiving  service plus taxes will increase.  Do you want the same efficiency in your doctor’s office as you find in the post office?  Think about what the politicians are promising us – there will be a cost in quality, are you willing to accept longer wait times, the inability to choose your own physician?

Single payor legislation was debated in CA and passed both changers of their legislature by a large margin.  It was only stopped by the Governor’s veto.

While a public poll supports a dramatic change, some policy experts favor changing the existing system versus going over to a single payor system.

Don states that if the U.S. follows Canada’s plan: 

• Scrap most technological equipment – stop covering prescription drugs outside hospitals
• Make ½ drugs approved by FDA in past 5 years illegal
• Give 10% more of gross income to the government
• Stop covering mental health care
• Always go thru a primary care physician to see a specialist.
• Cut national research and development by $77 billion
• Put 7,730,000 people on a waiting list for care.

Don’s myths of single payer systems

Everyone has access –

• Yes to a base level of coverage, but the patient doesn’t necessarily have access to care.
• Giant HMO’s will be created
• Since users of the system don’t pay for care directly, the only way to control costs is to limit utilization and access to medical technology
• A single payer system’s economic success is dependent on rationing the access to services
• Coverage is rationed
• Wait times are drastic – 17.7 weeks in Canada from referral to surgery, England’s goal is 18 weeks, 13 weeks for diagnostic tests

They have better outcomes -

• Overall rating in Britain, the medical system is #6 to be fixed as a national problem
• Private care systems are illegal in some Canadian providences.
• Canadians cross the southern border on weekends to have procedures done in US hospitals Medical costs are high and continue to rise.
• We pay more because we get more…
• When Canada put in their system in the 1960’s,  our taxes were the same. 
• They now pay 38-40% tax we pay 34%.  6.9% GNP is spent on healthcare in Canada
• US pays 6.8% GNP on healthcare, but we have more coverage

If you have to wait for a procedure aren’t you less able to work effectively?  There is a $15 billion difference in loss of productivity between the Canada and the U.S. 

He stated that Obama’s healthcare plan will cost an additional $150 billion and that Clinton’s healthcare plan will cost an additional $60-80 billion 

Everybody needs healthcare – what is the best way to deliver it?  View the candidates websites for answers and understand what the cost and benefit to you  and our country will be. Are you going to be limited access (his view of single payer systems) or will we get an adjusted system to what we already have? 

Anselm Rose  from the Rotary Club of Dresden, Germany stated that everyone in his country jokes that they should not get sick in the UK and noted that other European systems work better than the British so they should also be analyzed in order to understand all of the options.

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