Physicians are warming up to the idea of a single-payer healthcare system, according to data in a new Medscape report.
The report cites a 2009 Journal of General Internal medicine article in which 42 percent of U.S. physicians endorsed the single payer system and a more updated LinkedIn survey of 500-plus physicians taken in February 2017.
Nearly half — 48 percent — of the LinkedIn survey respondents were in favor of switching to a single-payer system; 32 percent were outright opposed. One reason for the support could be increased efficiency, as physician practices bare the administrative burden of billing multiple insurance companies and payers. Every year, they spend around $70 billion related to billing and insurance, according to a BMC Health Services report.
More than half of the physicians responding to the LinkedIn report said they negotiate with insurance companies for four hours per week on average, including making calls for prior authorizations or to appeal coverage denials.
The National Health Program, which advocates for a single payer system, has a working group that introduced a single-payer proposal last year; 2,200 physicians and medical students signed it. The proposal calls for a tax-supported healthcare system covering prescription drugs, dental care, long term care and mental healthcare, and patients would go to the physician of their choice.