Would Clinton sign a single-payer bill?

This is old news. I have heard Hillary Clinton say repeatedly, in public, in front of crowds, that if Congress passed a single payer bill she would support it and sign it . She fully understands the single payer option, as well as the best health care economists do. I am sure she would sign it, but the point is moot until Congress passes it.

I am a single payer advocate, and I have to agree with her that single payer isn't politically possible now, voters won't support it (Kucinich barely broke 2% support while advocating for single payer). There needs to be a profound restoration of trust and confidence in government and it's capacity to administer programs competently as well as a groundswell of public rallying for such a radical change in how health care is paid for in this country.

Meanwhile Clinton's mandate plan creates an opportunity for every person in the US to be a stakeholder in the issue, which may galvanize some real reform to improve the health care crisis. The Massachusetts mandate plan has already reached an amazing number of low income people and included them in fully subsidized insurance - almost twice the number who sign up when offered free government programs such as Medicaid elsewhere. The mandate has worked best for the poorest among us, no small feat. Obama's lack of a mandate in his health care plan would be bad for the poorest, who don't sign up for the programs they are eligible for (only about 47% sign up for free Medicaid based state programs when given the chance). It is a complicated task to get people to actually follow through and sign up for programs they need, so the mandate really does help with that intractable problem. Keeping up the political will to continue the program in the face of rising costs will be a real challenge.

The rising costs of health care itself, beyond the issue of whether health insurance is public/non-profit or private/for profit, is the most critical issue to be dealt with. It is one of the most difficult questions our society will have to deal with.

The Massachusetts mandate plan has far from solved the health care problems by forcing people to purchase private insurance, and subsidizing those under 300% of the poverty level. The state has grossly underestimated the number of people needing subsidized insurance, and so they keep pouring money into the program to cover them. Also, those who are just above the poverty line are subject to serious fines if they do not purchase insurance. The insurance that is available to them would be high deductible with no regulation on premiums...such that an individual making 30,000/year would pay nearly $4,000 before receiving one cent of actual care! Who is benefiting from this? The profit-driven health insurance companies who continue to show profits despite the burgeoning crisis inflicting Americans.

Profit and health care do not work. It is grossly unjust to force people to purchase a private health care plan without premium regulations.

We need Health Insurance for everyone. This should be the number one issue addressed. People die because they cannot afford to go to the hospital. What kind of country are we living in? Other countries have less money, but far better health care, so its not just a financial issue. We need a change.