Yes. Single-payer programs in other nations such as Canada, Taiwan, and Australia show that it’s possible to provide high-quality care for everyone at about half the cost, per capita, that the U.S. is spending now. Medical outcomes in such systems are generally as good if not better than those with private insurance in the U.S., and everyone is covered.

Our traditional Medicare program, which provides coverage for our nation’s seniors and the severely disabled, operates with low overhead, about 2 percent, in comparison with private insurers’ average overhead of about 12-14 percent. And Medicare enjoys very strong public approval ratings. That said, today’s Medicare suffers from serious deficiencies such as high cost sharing and gaps in coverage. And because it operates alongside many other insurance plans, hospitals and other providers have to maintain their complex and expensive cost tracking and billing systems. A single-payer national health insurance program would correct those deficiencies, creating, in effect, an improved version of Medicare for all.