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How would the US transition to universal health care via Medicare? Health insurance companies have big investments, would the government buy them out?Health insurance companies have big investments,There is no such thing as Health Insurance Company - even the BC/BS system does far more than just Health InsurancesThe big investments are in overseas insurance operations, and systems, including those used in universal coverage nationsDomestic investments include medical care centers, drug distribution, claims management services for self insuring, claims management for government, IT to run exchanges, manufacturing and distribution of items such as eye wear, drugs, medical devices, etc.Google UnitedHeatlth Group, or Cigna, and see just how global they areThose investments are not at a any major riskHow would the US transition to universal health care via Medicare?First you need to understand how people are actually InsuredOnly about 13 million actually use insurance company funded and managed insurance, and this is shrinking as insurers exit ACA marketsThe balance of the insured - 287 million or so are in coverage that is self funded by the employer, the union, the government agency, etc. That includes Medicaid, Medicare, VA, Federal retirement, etcThe insurance company is just the claims processor for the self funding entity. Also, the claims processing for Medicare Drugs, Medicare Advantage and Medicare Supp / MediGap is already done by private insurance.And Medicare claims processing - which it does for only medical claims for only about 20 million people, on Original Medicare, is horriblegoogle Medicare denies more claims and see for yourselfnext - the howSo the first step is to unwind and replace government coverage with another government coverageIn that process, the gaps in Medicare’s coverage will become obvious to 50% of the U S population - and they will get mad as heck if that is not fixedIn that process, the cost of Medicare’s coverage will become obvious to 80% of the U S population as well - and they will get mad as heck if that is not fixedAnd what you will see is a form of Medicaid for all developThen you will see doctors opt out - because Medicare and Medicaid do not even pay the cost, much less any profit, to providers. When providers decline, and they already do, - the people will get mad as heck if that is not fixedSo how bad is it really going to be..Only about 20 million use Original Medicare, and another 20 million use Medicare Advantage, which is where the private insurer replaces Medicare and adds many other benefits, including a cap on out of pocket costs (these plans contract with Medicare to do this, and are funded 10K per person to do this.In doing the math, using the HHS budget - those 40 million people cost over 15,000 per person per yearWe have 167 million workers, and 330 million needing coverageAt 15K per person per year, we would need to collect about 30K from every worker every yearand taxing business will not work, because the consumers still get the cost, and business with those costs become not competitive on a global economy and marketThink I am full of it?Germany collects over 16% of gross income for health care coverage.VT, CA and CO all tried, and failed - and CA is bigger than a single payer nation or two, both in economy and population

Penny has given some good advice. Let me just add to what she has said.BACKGROUNDIn the US, dental services are delivered outside of the medical care system; dentists are trained and licensed separately from medical doctors. Some, understandibly, find this, as well as the US dental insurance system, difficult to navigate. Keep in mind, however, that, as confusing as our system might be, dental delivery and financing systems and markets are highly developed in the US, with specially trained and licensed dentists—this began in 1840, when the first dental school opened in Baltimore. About 20 years later, the American Dental Association was created.SELECTING YOUR DENTAL INSURANCE PLAN (“plan” for short)There are basically 3 possibilities for most types of dental insurance. (You may or may not be given a choice; large employers usually offer more than one choice):Least expensive: Dental HMO, or DHMO, refers to a closed “panel” network-based Plan; dentists are contracted with the insurance company; you must select, or be assigned to, a dentist office; you can see any Network dentist you wish, but you MUST go in-network—there are no out of network benefits. There’s also no deductibles, and no annual maximums. These features can save you money, but the trade off might be longer appointment wait times, and a potential for dentists to under-treat. (They get paid a fixed monthly capitation fee per patient per month, whether or not patients have treatment.) Many common services, such as exams, x-rays, cleanings and some fillings and extractions, have Zero Copays, meaning no out of pocket cost to you. If your insurance booklet lists virtually every dental procedure and code, with corresponding dollar amounts, you’re likely in a DHMO. If there’s an issue with your care, the insurance company may be able to help.Mid-range price: Dental PPO (PPO=preferred provider): there’s a network of contracted dentists in place, but you have the choice to see a network dentist (referred to as “in network”), or to go out of network. Visiting a network dentist could save you money. I tend to favor this option, as it provides the best of both worlds: cost savings, while maximizing choice. Also, for #1 and #2, dentists are contracted with the Insurance Company. The existence of a contract between insurer and dentist, provides Common US dental insurance companies include Delta Dental, United Concordia, MetLife, Aetna, Cigna, to name a few. If your insurance booklet talks about how you may save money by seeing a network dentist, you’ve probably got a PPO. Again, the insurance company may be able to help if a dispute arises. One big benefit of using a contracted dentist, is a process called “predetermination”, whereby you can find out, before you have the work done, exactly what your total out-of-pocket cost share will be. I highly recommend this—-especially if you need a lot of work done.Most expensive: a traditional, old-fashioned, dental insurance plan with no network. No contracted dentists. See any dentist you wish, pay them, then submit an insurance claim form (the office will complete this for you), submit it to the insurance company, and receive reimbursement for a portion of the cost. The insurance company has little to no leverage, when it comes to resolving disputes.USING YOUR INSURANCEThink of an insurance policy like a savings account, only instead of dollars, you’ve got dental procedures expressed in dollars. Your insurance “bank” renews every year. There’s also an incredible amount of terminology to understand, so let me explain the basics:Annual maxim: the dollar amount of dental care the Plan will cover (pay) in any given year. Typically ranges from $1,000 - $2,000. If you need a lot of work, you can maximize the benefits to you by spreading your work out over more than a single year. Example/Pro Tip: Say, you needed $3,000 work of work done, and let’s further assume your annual maximum is $1,000 and, for simplicity, that there are no deductibles or copayments. If you:-have all the work done in year 1, you get $1,000 paid by insurance, and you pay the other $2,000.*-have the work spread out over three years, you get $3,000 paid by insurance, and you don’t owe anything *Clearly, it’s well worthwhile to understand your dental insurance plan and how to use it in the most cost-effective way for you.Deductible: the amount you must pay out-of-pocket in any given year, before the Plan will begin paying.Allowed charge: that procedure-specific dollar amount allowed by the Plan. All deductibles and cooays occur in this context. You could receive an additional bill, called a Balance Bill, for any amounts in excess of allowed charges. (I know, it’s confusing, but stick with me…)Coinsurance/copayment: the share of the cost the Plan pays for a given procedure; procedures are grouped into categories. Preventive/diagnostic services usually have zero copayment, with copayments increasing as a percentage of cost, as the cost and complexity of the procedure increases. Example: your booklet may say something like: “the Plan pays 100% of allowed charges for preventive/diagnostic care, 80% for basic restorative (fillings, extractions, possibly some periodontics and endodontics), and 50% for major services.”Lifetime maximum: If orthodontics are covered, there’s a dollar limit per person per lifetime, usually between $1,000 and $2,000. This means that once insurance payout reaches this amount, you’re responsible for the rest.*For simplicity, this example assumes there are no deductibles or copaymentsNow, armed with this information, and what Penny has explained about how to interact with dental offices, you’re ready to visit the dentist!Cathye L Smithwick, RDH, MAAuthor: Dental Benefits, A Guide To Managed Plans, 3rd Ed