It’s no question that most Americans are dissatisfied with Obamacare.

One union, however, National Nurses United (NNU), has a healthcare idea in mind that actually makes the financial and accessibility concerns people have with Obamacare worse: NNU wants to implement a single-payer ("Medicare for all") system.

While NNU claims on its website that a single-payer system is “more humane” and would provide “universal coverage,” cost savings and “free use” to any provider or facility, the fact is the opposite would occur under a single-payer system.

A single-payer system would not provide universal coverage, would not cut costs and would have incredibly high co-pays. Writing for Bloomberg View, Megan McArdle notes that even before Obamacare, the U.S. already had many government-run health agencies; Medicare, Medicaid, Veterans Affairs, etc.  On those programs the U.S. was already spending more per capita than most wealthy countries on healthcare. A single-payer system would only make matters worse.

Not only would it be more expensive in the long run, but single-payer would also negatively impact healthcare quality.  Robert A. Book for the Heritage Foundation notes that a single-payer system such as desired by the NNU would result in “substantially lower payments to physicians and other healthcare providers compared to a multiple-payer system,” and therefore limit access to -- and reduce quality of – healthcare.

No wonder a recent Gallup Poll found that only 37 percent of Americans in favor of Obamacare, its lowest approval rating to date. Even Democrats who helped usher Obamacare into law are now voicing regrets. At a National Press Club event in Washington, D.C. on November 25, Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) told his audience:

“Democrats blew the opportunity the American people gave them. We took their mandate and put all of our focus on the wrong problem: health care reform.”

Those who still want more government involvement in healthcare should look at the Veterans Affairs Administration. The VA has been under fire this year after it was accused of “falsifying data to hide how long Veterans were waiting to see doctors,” according to USA Today.  Some veterans had to wait six weeks before they even scheduled their first primary-care appointment; some may have even died while awaiting treatment.  Just another reason people are suspicious of government-run health regimes.  

Lots of people are unhappy with Obamacare.  But only the NNU seems to be unhappy with it because it doesn’t give the government enough power over our lives.