Single-payer healthcare is defined as

• A. Single-payer healthcare is a system where one public entity (government) finances healthcare.
• B. Universal healthcare guarantees access without financial hardship.
• C. Health Maintenance Organization is a prepaid plan.
• D. Fee-for-service pays per service.

Answer: (A)

At its heart, a single-payer system is about who finances care: one public entity covers and pays for medically necessary services for everyone, usually funded through taxes, with that single payer reimbursing providers. This means patients typically don’t face direct bills for covered care at the point of service. The concept is different from universal coverage, which is about ensuring access and financial protection but doesn’t by itself specify a single financing source. It’s also distinct from an HMO, which is a prepaid plan (often privately run) that restricts networks and requires prepayment arrangements, rather than a single public payer. And it’s different from fee-for-service, a payment method where providers are paid for each service, which can exist under various financing structures, not necessarily a single payer.