This opinion piece completely ignores the ingredient that is necessary to fix American medical care, i.e. lowering of the intrinsic costs.  Except for the lower ranked workers, everyone in medicine makes too much.  Drug companies make too much.  The 20 percent that goes to insurance companies should be eliminated via single payer.  Reducing costs will be a dramatic battle, but it can be won.  Probably it will be necessary to nationalize medical education making it "free" for future services rendered and significantly expand the number of available slots so that those who want and are qualified for medical education can get it.  Eventually, the entire industry pay scale will have to come down.  Fact is that if we had single payer and that system had the power to set compensation rates, hospitals, doctors, and others would make due.  They would fight tooth and nail to prevent such a system with opinion pieces like this one, but it would be better for the country to reduce costs.