Giving Compass' Take:

• Governing magazine discusses the obstacles to single payer healthcare not just from a political perspective, but from a practical one: How would the transition plan look?

• For organizations in the health and human services sector, it's worth working through the logistics of single payer/Medicare for all, despite the policy hurdles. Biggest takeaway: There are no shortcuts.

• What role will companies like Amazon play when it comes to the future of our healthcare system? Read this.

The issues surrounding single payer haven't daunted advocates. At the federal level, Sen. Bernie Sanders introduced his "Medicare for All" bill last year, and several state legislatures are or have recently considered moving to a similar single-payer system. But while a majority of the public supports the concept of universal coverage and support for single payer as a means of accomplishing that has been growing, there has been little public discussion of how to get "There" — an operating Medicare for All-style program — from "Here" — a complicated, multi-payer system that leaves too many people without coverage.

In a single-payer system, government is the source of health insurance for everyone, and that coverage is financed with taxes and premiums paid by businesses, individuals or both. California is the latest state to get caught in the political brambles of single payer. Though a popular concept among Californians, a bill passed by the state Senate last year was stopped cold in the Assembly. The likelihood of a substantial tax increase was a major sticking point, and affected stakeholders raised the alarm. Similarly, Vermont's single-payer effort met its demise late in 2014, largely owing to political concerns over a tax increase to finance the plan.

To overcome this barrier, the mechanism to pay into the new system should be structured to resemble monthly premium payments to a health insurance plan rather than a massive new tax. Reaching consensus on such a financing mechanism would certainly be politically daunting. But suppose lawmakers and advocates managed to overcome political opposition and find a palatable way to pay for a state's single-payer system. What then? Policymakers still would face practical roadblocks on the path from Here to There, but there is much that they could learn about transitioning to a single-payer system from the implementation issues Vermont officials encountered.

Read the full article about single payer healthcare's tricky route by Katharine London and Robert W. Seifert at Governing magazine.