Major physician group calls for single-payer system

The American College of Physicians, which is the largest physician-specialty organization and made up of internists, is calling for comprehensive health care reform in the form of a single-payer system. In a series of policy statements and papers, the organization argues for universal, affordable coverage and more price transparency among its recommendations to address the high cost of health care in the U.S., as well as other inequities that translate to poor health outcomes for many patients. At the same time, in an ad published in today’s New York Times, more than 2,000 doctors with Physicians for a National Health Program iterated their support for “Medicare for All,” saying the single-payer system would “curb soaring prices” and “bring welcome relief to patients.”