By Jackie Farwell
Bangor (Maine) Daily News, March 12, 2014
With March 31 fast approaching as the deadline to buy health insurance under the Affordable Care act, the state’s largest physicians group has released new survey results showing Maine doctors favor a very different kind of health reform.
The survey of Maine Medical Association members shows nearly two-thirds of doctors prefer a single-payer health care system.
Conducted in January and completed by more than 450 respondents, the survey asked:
“When considering the topic of health care reform, would you prefer to make improvements to the current public/private system or a single-payer system such as a “Medicare for all” approach?
Nearly 65 percent of doctors preferred the single-payer option, a jump from about 52 percent in a 2008 MMA survey asking the same question.
Single-payer health systems cover everyone under a publicly funded insurance plan run by a single entity, often the government. All hospitals, doctors, and other health providers bill that entity for their services.
Supporters of the “Medicare for all” approach advocate expanding that government program to cover all Americans, not just those over age 65 and people with disabilities.
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As ACA deadline looms, Maine doctors show support for single-payer health care
