Posted: June 14th, 2023

Evidence Base in Design

Evidence Base in Design
Number of sources: 3
Paper instructions:
When politics and medical science intersect, there can be much debate. Sometimes anecdotes or hearsay are misused as evidence to support a particular point. Despite these and other challenges, however, evidence-based approaches are increasingly used to inform health policy decision-making regarding causes of disease, intervention strategies, and issues impacting society. One example is the introduction of childhood vaccinations and the use of evidence-based arguments surrounding their safety.

In this Discussion, you will identify a recently proposed health policy and share your analysis of the evidence in support of this policy.

To Prepare:

Review the Congress website provided in the Resources and identify one recent (within the past 5 years) proposed health policy.
Review the health policy you identified and reflect on the background and development of this health policy.

_________________________

The policy I identified is the Medicare for All proposal. This proposal would create a single-payer healthcare system in the United States, meaning that the government would be the sole payer for healthcare services. Under this system, all Americans would be automatically enrolled in Medicare, and there would be no private health insurance.

The evidence in support of Medicare for All is strong. Studies have shown that single-payer systems are more efficient and cost-effective than multi-payer systems like the one we have in the United States. Single-payer systems also have better outcomes, with lower rates of preventable deaths and better access to care.

In addition to the evidence from studies, there is also the evidence from countries that have single-payer systems. Countries like Canada, the United Kingdom, and Sweden all have single-payer systems, and they all have better health outcomes than the United States.

Of course, there are also challenges to implementing Medicare for All. One challenge is the cost. The Congressional Budget Office has estimated that Medicare for All would cost an additional $32 trillion over ten years. However, it is important to note that this cost would be offset by the savings from eliminating private health insurance premiums and out-of-pocket costs.

Another challenge to implementing Medicare for All is the political will. There is a lot of opposition to single-payer systems from the insurance industry and from some politicians. However, the public is increasingly supportive of Medicare for All, and it is possible that political will will shift in the future.

Overall, the evidence in support of Medicare for All is strong. Single-payer systems are more efficient, cost-effective, and have better outcomes than multi-payer systems. Countries that have single-payer systems have better health outcomes than the United States. The cost of Medicare for All would be offset by the savings from eliminating private health insurance premiums and out-of-pocket costs. The political will to implement Medicare for All is growing.

I believe that Medicare for All would be a positive step for the United States. It would improve access to care, reduce costs, and improve outcomes. I urge you to support Medicare for All.