the fact that the government can't raise enough taxes to match current expenditures without dramatically increasing the total cost burden of the people being taxed from current levels. The savings is what makes it possible.

But it's not enough to cover the increases in costs due to new consumption and the raising of Medicaid (and possibly Medicare) rates. Which makes it all-but-impossible for the government to find enough money to pay for this in a politically feasible way.

How many different ways do I need to explain it?

We already pay more than enough to cover everyone. Change the pipes the money flows through

Currenty: employer pays most of the employee's health insurance, and adds the cost to the goods and services sold.

End state, when the last employee on private insurance retires: employer pays VAT on his inputs, and adds the cost to the goods and services sold. He no longer is paying employee health insurance, so that cost is no longer added to goods and services sold.

Transition years: VAT is stepped up, as the portion of the workforce covered by national health increases, meanwhile employer costs for private employee insurance declines.

For the individual covered by national health: pays a bit more for goods and services, due to the VAT, but does not have paycheck deductions for health insurance or Medicare.

For the individual not covered by national health: pays for employer provided insurance, but not for Medicare, unless he voluntarily moves to national health, when he sees the paycheck deduction for insurance vanish too, while paying a bit more for purchases, due to the VAT.

"JCs" do not duck the VAT by offshoring production, because VAT is charged on imports.

I have been having flashbacks to an ep of "Yes Minister", and "creative inertia"

two relevant clips;

Yes, Minister - Sir Humphrey's Stalling Technique

YouTube: Yes, Minister - Sir Humphrey's Stalling Technique (Karthik Subramaniam)

Jim's TV Announcement | Yes, Minister | BBC Comedy Greats

YouTube: Jim's TV Announcement | Yes, Minister | BBC Comedy Greats (BBC Comedy Greats)

Steve