Vermont for Single Payer

09/05/2026

09/04/2026

https://www.axios.com/2026/08/25/americans-er-wait-times-data
“Patients now spend an average of more than two and a half hours in hospital emergency departments, and visits have been getting longer in nearly half of the states, new federal data shows.
“Forthcoming insurance eligibility and cost changes could lead people to put off care until their health reaches a crisis point, sending even more patients to an ED.”

Forthcoming insurance eligibility and cost changes could send even more patients to an emergency department.

09/03/2026

All that for only an arm, a leg, and your first born.....

Your doctor spent more than a decade in medical school and training.

The person reviewing and denying the claim often has a few weeks of insurance-company training.

One of them decides what treatment you actually need. The other decides whether the insurance company will pay for it.

That imbalance is baked into the system, and it is one of the reasons so many people feel the American healthcare setup stops making sense the moment a real bill shows up.

09/03/2026

https://www.healthaffairs.org/doi/10.1377/hlthaff.2025.01535
“After [private equity] acquisition, registered nurse, social worker, and home hospice aide minutes per thirty days declined 5.14 percent, 12.32 percent, and 6.62 percent, respectively; after [publicly traded corporation] acquisition, registered nurse and home hospice aide minutes per thirty days declined 4.63 percent and 9.09 percent. Declines in visit minutes also were observed in the last seven days of life.”

The rapid growth of private equity (PE) and publicly traded corporation (PTC) ownership in hospice has raised concerns that investor-driven profit incentives may undermine care quality. Evidence on how these acquisitions affect care delivery remains limited. We linked a national PE and PTC acquisiti...

09/02/2026

https://www.openaccessgovernment.org/ebook/how-to-pay-for-healthcare/213335/
“Health insurance is expensive — even for the state of New Mexico.
“As health insurance premiums have soared, so has state spending on subsidies to shield some New Mexicans from the rising costs. But absent any changes in program costs or eligibility, the state fund used to pay for those subsidies may be insolvent by fiscal year 2028, according to a Legislative Finance Committee analysis released Tuesday.
“’Moving forward, New Mexico may need to consider cost containment measures to ensure the long-term sustainability of the fund,’ said Legislative Finance Committee Program Evaluator Elizabeth Dodson.”

How to pay for healthcare to achieve better outcomes and sustainable universal healthcare systems

09/01/2026

Healthcare is more badly broken than political leaders admit
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/08/28/opinion-us-healthcare-badly-broken/?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20Daily%20Health%20Policy%20Report&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9r-uGW4lK8DUqIRyW-j1faoE44qo6vdU7s3d3B6OJz85MxPsXSvfHy7o6KRNsSF3iRuWOi0CGSpZx9AgwDk0X7Rele8g&_hsmi=435754972&utm_content=435754972&utm_source=hs_email
“…while rising costs are a barrier for too many, even those who can afford comprehensive health insurance are finding money can’t buy you a timely appointment with most doctors.
“New to a practice? Fewer and fewer doctors are accepting new patients, and many who do won’t have an opening for the remainder of this year.
“Need to see a specialist? Sit back and stew over the test results that prompted you to seek more expertise because it likely will be months before any specialist can see you for follow-up.
“Need surgery? Doctors are now so tightly scheduled that patients often won’t see them before or after the procedure. Recently, my family was only briefed by someone who wasn’t even in the room where it happened.
“That’s the realistic state of medical care in this city where we are fortunate to have several of the country’s best hospital systems. Top-rated doctors in every specialty are within reach, but it can take many months to see them. In other words, we’re now in much the same bind as patients in rural areas who have long found limited doctors available for routine care, with specialists often a few hours’ drive away.
“There are several reasons why we’re in this precarious situation. The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) points to the aging baby boomer population as well as aging physicians retiring and others turning to more expensive concierge practice to spend more time with patients and dodge institutional paperwork.
“The AAMC cites a report from the federal Health Resources and Services Administration, which designated 8,781 health professional shortage areas for primary care alone — areas in which 100 million residents are trying to access nonspecialty healthcare. The AAMC goes on to underscore the widening gap between the healthcare haves and the have-nots, noting: ‘If underserved populations were to experience the same healthcare use patterns as populations with fewer barriers to access, the United States would need up to 202,800 more physicians than it has just to meet current demand.’”

In Chicago, top-rated doctors in every specialty are within reach, but it can take many months to see them.