“For Democrats, opposing Trump’s plan, which a measly 8 percent of Americans support in its current…”
“For Democrats, opposing Trump’s plan, which a measly 8 percent of Americans support in its current form, is a no-brainer. But with health care emerging as the American people’s top concern , according to recent polls, Democrats would be wise to seize the moment, go on the offensive and rally around a bold alternative to the Republican Party’s backward vision. It’s time for progressives and Democrats to unite behind Medicare for all.
Under a Medicare-for-all, single-payer system, the United States would join virtually every other Western country in recognizing health care as a fundamental right and providing insurance for every citizen. It would reduce the burden on employers, which bear the brunt of the cost of insurance today, and it would bring down overall health-care costs because Medicare is more efficient than for-profit private insurance. It would be paid for with tax hikes on the wealthiest Americans, including a financial transactions tax that would curb risky high-frequency trading.
Contrary to how it is often portrayed, this is not some left-wing fantasy but an idea with widespread across-the-aisle support. An April survey from the Economist/YouGov showed that 60 percent of Americans support “expanding Medicare to provide health insurance to every American,” including a majority of independents and nearly half of self-identified Republicans. Likewise, a Gallup poll conducted last month found that a majority of Americans would like to see a single-payer system implemented. (Given how deeply Medicare is woven into the fabric of our society, I prefer the term “Medicare for all” over the wonky “single-payer.”)
This is not to say that Democrats should stop defending the Affordable Care Act, which is more popular now that it is being threatened than ever before. The law was clearly a major step forward, as evidenced by the 20 million Americans who gained coverage because of it. But the most compelling argument for the Affordable Care Act was always that it was just that: not the final destination but a step in the right direction. “For me, this legislation represents progress toward universal health care for all Americans,” Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.), a longtime supporter of Medicare for all, said when it passed in 2010 . “It is a beginning — and an important one.””
– Time for Democrats to unite around Medicare for all – The Washington Post
(via dendroica)
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Tags: politics, this, this has been my broken-record theme the last few weeks, in my calls to fed and state reps.
