$400 billion sounds like a stimulus-grade saving to me

Dr. Oliver Fein, Atlanta Journal-Constitution - However well-intentioned, the Obama/Baucus/Kennedy approaches share a fatal flaw: they preserve a central role for the private health insurance industry.

To varying degrees, they would mandate that everyone buy private health insurance - the private insurance that is failing us today. ...

Administration consumes about one-third of every health care dollar in the U.S. By contrast, in countries with nonprofit national health insurance, administrative costs consume only half that amount. . .

Eliminating the private insurance industry would save $400 billion annually in administrative costs, enough to ensure that everyone is covered and to eliminate all co-pays and deductibles.

At this critical juncture, a single-payer plan is the only medically, morally and fiscally responsible path to take.

[From MONEY AND WORK: THE DEMOCRATS' LOUSY HEALTHCARE BILL & WHY SINGLE PAYER IS BETTER]