Difference between Medicare for All and Single Payer

Health care systems are very important.

Medicare is a health insurance plan. It has 4-5 parts and American citizens choose the one which is more compatible for them. It has certain age limit criteria. Medicare for All is a program for everyone regardless of their age. Single payer plan is like Medicare for all in the sense that essential health care cost will be covered by single public system. Let us discuss how they both differ from each other.

Medicare for All

Medicare for All is basically a project from the Medicare health system in which citizens are provided with health insurances. This should be done with the help of private agencies and insurance companies. Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage is for the people aged 65 or above or younger with certain disabilities. Medicare for All has no such limitations. It will provide medical insurance to everyone regardless of their age or health condition.

Medicare for all wold have no intermediaries. Government will bear all of the patient’s medical expenses including hospital bills and drug costs etc. In addition to the original Medicare coverage, Medicare for All will also cover reproductive, maternity and pediatric care costs. This will also include more choices for prescription drugs.

Single Payer

Single Payer health system is the one in which there will be no intermediary between the patient and their insurer. A tax system will be introduced which will include the insurance cost as well. The patient will not have to pay deductibles and premium costs.  And, obviously this single payer is the government itself.

Single Payer means the government finances health costs but this particularly does not mean American government. Many countries have this single payer health care system. This health care system includes costs for hospital stays and bills, rehabilitation, mental health services, maternity and pediatric services and few others.

	Medicare for all	Single payer
Definition	An American health care system for everyone regardless of age and other conditions.	Government based health care system currently working in many countries.
Eligibility	Every US citizen of any age and health condition is eligible for Medicare for All.	Age does not matter for single payer health care system; non-citizens would be ineligible for this program.
Coverage	Medicare covers every thing that Original Medicare covers in addition to the reproduction, maternity and pediatric costs.	Single Payer system covers everything that Medicare for All covers in addition to rehabilitation, mental health services and prevention services.
Prescription drugs	There are more choices for prescriptions drugs than in the original Medicare.	Not many choices when compared to Medicare for All.

Venn Diagram