Issue Position: Single-Payer Health Insurance

Issue Position

Medicare is a single payer system for our elderly. It works, just like Social Security works. Single payer health insurance is often called "Medicare for all."

"I came to this conclusion as the result of a learning process I went through in the course of serving in local government. As an Albany County Legislator, I saw that 95% of our County property tax went to pay Medicaid. No other State does that.

I saw that millions of dollars were being wasted on trying to stop Medicaid fraud, but not so much fraud was being stopped. The administrative costs of Medicaid are just too high. There just has to be a better way."

In contrast, the County self-insured health plan, which is more similar to a single payer system, provided the widest array of benefits at lowest cost. Incidentally, Phil has been championing legislation that would allow all municipalities and school districts to join county self-insured health plans which would lower their costs and achieve savings for taxpayers.

The high cost of health care and post-secondary education is destroying the middle class. Serious reform, not just tinkering with the existing system is needed. As a member of both the Assembly's Health and Insurance committees, Phil is well-positioned to help the middle class and our businesses better afford health insurance.

"Businesses, like the one in which I am a partner, are paying a disproportionate amount of payroll for health insurance. Under a single payer system, those costs would be dramatically reduced."

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