Seventy percent of Americans support Medicare for all in new poll

[DonViejo]

Source: The Hill


BY MEGAN KELLER - 08/23/18 11:16 AM EDT

A vast majority -- 70 percent -- of Americans in a new poll supports Medicare for all, also known as a single-payer health-care system, a new poll finds.

The Reuters/Ipsos survey found 85 percent of Democrats supported the policy along with 52 percent of Republicans.

Medicare all would lead to $32.6 trillion increase in federal spending over a 10-year period, according to a study the libertarian-leaning Mercatus Center at George Mason University put out in July. The study’s author, Charles Blahous, wrote in The Wall Street Journal earlier this month that even doubling taxes would not cover the bill for a single-payer health-care system.

The policy’s proponents point to a note in the study showing that health-care costs would also decrease by $2 trillion by 2031 if it became law.

Read more: http://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/403248-poll-seventy-percent-of-americans-support-medicare-for-all

[duforsure]

1. While all republicans are working to destroy

Medicare, Medicaid , and Social Security . Surprising how many people are voting and supporting trump and the KGOP who don't want us to have health care, or Social Security anymore. Look at what they've voted to do to these programs, its designed to destroy them all. Why, for their super wealthy donors to get payments to their campaigns, just like they did for their tax cut windfalls they got with their tax plan scam.

[luvtheGWN]

2. Can we dare to hope

that those 70% know the ONLY way it will happen is if they vote Democrat?

[YOHABLO]

3. We need better ''Medicare'' coverage. It doesn't go far enough.

We still have extraordinary prescription drug costs. We need a National Health care system that includes prescription costs.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

11. All the proposing seen show it as Medicare 100%

Just because it’s called Medicare that doesn’t mean we keep the same coverages

[Cicada]

4. We can and must fix health care costs by fixing prices

Americans don’t get more health care, we just pay more for the care we get. That is why we pay so much more. In Japan there is a big book with the maximum price for a list of medical services. Stitching a cut up to 3 inches so much. Three to six inches so much. Our doctors get paid twice as much. Sorry, we need to cut their income. Health care does not work in a capitalist framework. We do not permit Walmart cashiers to hold a gun to our heads and say pay us ten dollars for that cabbage or I shoot you. But a doctor says pay me $100000 for heart surgery or you die. A consumer can’t bargain, he must pay whatever is asked. Markets are great, essential for our well being. But they do not work in every situation. There are some rare situations where markets fuck up. Air pollution not reflected in gas prices, the externality problem. Health care. We must fix prices.

And that is what Medicare for all does. It fixes prices at the lower price Medicare pays. Without that it will not work.

[Power 2 the People]

5. Yes. The time has come

Medicare for all!

[LiberalLovinLug]

6. Yes, its too bad y'all waited so long. The rich doctors, specialists, and hospitals themselves

..won't want to have their income reduced now. They will no doubt lead another powerful lobby effort to stop it. That will be a major hurdle. Another will be the laying off of thousands of private insurance workers. Hopefully a lot can be employed in any new government jobs.

There would be an initial investment for the first years until it starts giving dividends. And all that time Republicans and their propaganda outlets would be screaming about it costing too much. So you'd also have to win the war of fake news propaganda.

The only way is through enough Americans on board to ride it out. It must be presented and explained properly. And championed.

[Duppers]

18. "y'all waited" ?

Who is this "y'all," kemosabe?

On edit...
Whoops, me bad. Just ck'd your profile.

[LiberalLovinLug]

23. Well I did say "y'all" which I just used because I like the sound of it.

I don't use that colloquialism up here at all. So that might have thrown you off.


take it easy eh

[Duppers]

26. I just thought you were a US American

Casting dispersions on slow-to-act folks here, when we DUers have been the fighters, but you know that.
And, btw, being a "southerner," I used to say "y'all" myself.

Again, I apologize for my misunderstanding.

Btw, I love the parts of your country I've visited - Montréal, Ottawa, and the Canadian side of Niagara Falls. One of my bucket list items is to travel back to the NW and visit Banff.

[Bayard]

9. I've said this before

The reason drugs are so expensive in this country is because we foot the bill for research and commercialization. Plus other countries regulate costs.

[MichMan]

10. How much of a wage cut should doctors, nurses, and pharmacy workers take ?

[Cicada]

13. Orthopedic surgeons 33% cut, family physician 17% cut, maybe?

Pharmacists are different because so many profit from a drug store business.

Maybe less severe cuts. There is 15% fat from excessive administrative costs so that part we can get without lower salaries.

I don’t understand why specialists make twice as much as other doctors.

We can phase in over time. We can pay all tuitition and room and board for medical students, make school cost free, even give them ten hour per week jobs to have spending money, in return for them earning Medicare rate wages for life?

I like nurses, weird sex fetish, so I really hate to harm them.

[Snellius]

24. With Medicare as it is doctors are not required to accept Medicare

Most do. And those that do can charge more than Medicare will allow. You sometimes have to sign a form accepting the difference or have a private insurance supplement. Many of these issues have already been established for a long time.

[MichMan]

25. That would no longer be permitted

What would be the point of having no Co pays or deductibles if doctors could charge more than Medicare would pay?

[Snellius]

27. Medicare has been around for over 60 years.

Covering the sickest of the population. Doctors can and do charge more but not all and not most. Private specialists will not go away. Medicare pays 80%. If supplement, insurance pays 20% depending on plan. Any amount over is out of pocket. I'm still pretty new at being old, so only been on about 4 years, and so far doctors are not as greedy as they've been painted. At present they are way overburdened with the complexity and billing under existing mess. They might actually benefit, able to concentrate on what they really do. It's the private supplemental policies that will get you. Also, Medicare is not free. And fixed. You still pay quarterly. How it will work for all, can't tell. But the savings are much greater than suggested by recent libertarian studies. Just in paperwork, bureaucracy, and employer cost of health benefits and disability claims alone. The biggest problem will be who is included in "all". Some will argue that some are more all than others.

[MichMan]

29. The current system isn't what is being proposed

The plan that is being discussed has $0 Co pays and $0 Deductibles.


Doctors and Hospitals will not be allowed to charge extra $$

[Snellius]

30. On Medicare a few years and never paid co-pays or deductibles

No doctor I've seen has charged extra. Medicare with Blue Cross basic supplement. But can understand how it might have to change if all are covered. For us seniors might even be worse. As proposed by whom, Bernie? As proposed is a long way from how it would be. The legislation would take years.

[MichMan]

31. Just replying to what you said

This is from your post

"Medicare pays 80%. If supplement, insurance pays 20% depending on plan. Any amount over is out of pocket."

"Most do. And those that do can charge more than Medicare will allow. You sometimes have to sign a form accepting the difference or have a private insurance supplement. Many of these issues have already been established for a long time."

[Snellius]

32. That's the formula but not my own experience.

Was giving what's considered the general situation just to give an objective overview. I'm sure many with much more serious illnesses would have a different story than my own. When bills really get high, their warning light all go red. Things like organ replacements and kidney disease with dialysis is difficult or impossible to cover. Medicaid has to kick in, I believe. Personally, having seen 3 specialists for skin cancer to detached vitreous in eye, I've paid only about $50 for blood tests, and I think it was a billing error at that. Hope I don't jinx myself. I'm not that old yet.

Should add again. Medicare and supplements are not free. You pay premiums and so far those premiums alone are equal to my medical costs. So in result they have paid out very little over that. It's just a LOT less what private, profit-driven insurance would cost.

[Duppers]

19. Absolutely! Along with funding medical schools

To keep the sky-high costs down for young docs.

Insurance companies are unnecessary middlemen.

I've experienced the top-notch, excellent Medical Care in the UK where profiteering off sick people is not a motivation.

[pecosbob]

7. To all you scaredy-cats that have been talking trash

here over the last couple of years about MFA being too 'socialistic' for most Americans...eat my shorts.

[SteveMO]

14. Do you think Cynthia Nixon will beat Cuomo?

She is for single payer.

[Duppers]

15. She comes with other baggage.

Inexperienced, gay, etc. She'd lose some votes based on just those.

[pecosbob]

21. I would say that's a very long shot...

I think he has a really deep war chest. I don't know NY politics but I would guess name recognition will only carry you so far in that contest.

[Duppers]

20. ...

[lagomorph777]

8. This looks like the ultimate campaign issue - a clear win for Dems to push it!

Thanks Bernie!

[SteveMO]

12. Abdul El-Sayed should have advocated it

That would have helped him win.

[Duppers]

16. Watch the Bernie bashers hop on.

[Duppers]

17. Wish it had that kind of support here

On DU.

[lagomorph777]

22. Yeah, right?

[brooklynite]

28. The problem is that they don't care ENOUGH....

None of the candidates I talk to say they’re hearing that FA should be a top priority.