Bernie Sanders cannot answer key question about Medicare for All: How to get it done

[DonViejo]

Analysis by Zachary B. Wolf, CNN

Updated 8:19 AM ET, Fri June 28, 2019

Washington (CNN) - Disagreement among Democrats over how to achieve universal health care exploded again into view Thursday night as hopefuls took the stage for the second 2020 Democratic presidential nomination debate.

Universal care may be the single biggest issue dividing the Democratic primary debate stages. Should people be given the option of a government-run health care plan or should it be forced upon them? And among the most difficult facets for Democrats to answer is: What can Democrats actually do about it?

Of the 20 candidates on the two debate stages Wednesday and Thursday, just four raised their hands when asked who backed the elimination of private health insurance.

Bernie Sanders has been talking about this for some time. His Medicare for All plan, a mandated single-payer system, is the dream of some progressives. While every Democrat has paid lip service to the idea of a government option, Sanders would make the government option the only one.

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https://www.cnn.com/2019/06/28/politics/bernie-sanders-2020-democratic-debate-medicare-for-all/index.html

[brewens]

1. Maybe it should be framed as eliminating the need for private insurance. They have to

explain what happens to all the money businesses pay to cover employees. That has to go to pay for the single payer system or be paid to employees to cover what taxes will be needed to run things.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

2. Bernie hasn't addressed the fact that Medicare even as it is now

doesn't cover everything - not even close. There are copays, deductibles, and things like glasses, hearing aids and dentistry aren't covered at all. You have to buy some kind of supplemental insurance in order to fill in the gaps in coverage. Would MFA cover everything or would it be necessary to have some additional coverage at least available? Most countries that have some form of universal health care system also have private coverage that can be purchased because even in those systems there are copays, deductibles and things that aren't covered.

[blue neen]

3. Yes, i noticed that.

Sanders was asked this question directly, and gave a very indirect answer.