Definition: An approach to health care financing with only one source of money for paying health care providers. The scope may be national (the Canadian System), state-wide, or community-based. The payer may be a governmental unit or other entity such as an insurance company. The proposed advantages include administrative simplicity for patients and providers, and resulting significant savings in overhead costs. (From Slee and Slee, Health Care Reform Terms, 1993, p106)
a type of organized health-care financing
Other names Systems, Single-Payer; System, Single-Payer; Single-Payer Systems; Single-Payer Plans; Single Payer System; Single Payer Plan; Plans, Single-Payer; Plan, Single-Payer; Single-Payer Plan
