Brazil Shows What Would Have Happened With Trump and Medicare for All

[TomCADem]

Brazil has one of the largest free universal health care systems in the world, but it also has a President who is very similar to Trump. Like Trump, he is gambling that his denials on COVID-19 will not hurt him, because outrage will be directed at the economic impact of shutdowns implemented by local governments in response to COVID-19. Thus, while local governments work to limit deaths, Bolsonaro trolls the governments and argues that they overreacted and hurt the economy. Of course, like the U.S., if local governments had not taken the steps they had, the death count would have been way higher.

https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/04/20/brazil-bolsonaro-icu-beds-health-system-isnt-ready-for-coronavirus/

Brazil’s Health System Isn’t Ready for the Coronavirus

RIO DE JANEIRO—Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro made the move to fire his health minister just as cities and states in the country’s poorer northern regions began to run out of critical care beds, their public health care systems crumbling under the weight of the novel coronavirus.

While other world leaders have called for urgent action, Brazil’s far-right populist leader has dismissed the deadly virus as a “little flu.” He has railed against lockdowns, shaken hands at rallies, and encouraged people to return to normal life. In recent weeks, he repeatedly clashed with ousted Health Minister Luiz Henrique Mandetta, who defied Bolsonaro and urged Brazilians to self-isolate.

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Brazil has one of the largest free universal health care systems in the world, which operates alongside a vast private sector accessible to Brazilians with insurance plans or those willing to pay out of pocket. Although some lower-income Brazilians have access to additional health insurance, the country’s wealthier citizens make up the majority of patients at private hospitals.

Now, as the country prepares for the peak of the crisis, the gap has come into sharp focus. About half of all ICU beds in Brazil are in private hospitals that serve just a quarter of the population. In these facilities, there are four for every 10,000, data from the Federal Council of Medicine shows.

[Crazyleftie]

1. I don't get the connection..???

Is this a snipe at medicare for all?

[TomCADem]

2. If You Had Medicare For All, Then Elected Trump as President...

...and then he proceeded to spend his presidency trying to undermine Medicare for All, would we be in a different position then Brazil?