Seth Moulton seems to be confused about single-payer health care.

[spooky3]

He's appearing on LOD. He decried the problems with Veterans' Admin care (he is a vet), e.g., that he was sent home with the wrong meds., and talked about how he wanted Medicare for all to be an option rather than to shift everyone to it, because competition was good. But Medicare is a payer, not a provider, of health care. VA is a provider.

He also did not seem to be aware (before LOD told him) that Medicare is currently forbidden from negotiating drug prices. He quickly agreed but seemed surprised, to me.

These apparent gaffes are not good for a Presidential candidate.

[msongs]

1. he said medicare will not negotiate drug prices. wrong, it is Congress ppl like HIM who do that

and lawrence had to correct him

[elleng]

2. He did not decry problems with VA care, he recognized them,

and he knows that Medicare is forbidden from negotiating, something he said he would CHANGE.

[spooky3]

4. I do not believe that he did know that, as I said.

He quickly agreed with LOD after LOD interjected that fact in response to his appearing critical of Medicare for not doing that. He came up with the change AFTER LOD spoke up. I think LOD also perceived his knowledge or lack of it as I did, or else LOD wouldn't have had to say anything. If Moulton really knew that, he should have led with his concern that the law currently prevents Medicare from negotiating drug prices.

I disagree also with your characterization of "recognized" problems (why would he have complained about being sent home with the wrong meds as an example?), but that is just a matter of opinion and perception on which people can disagree. My point was that pointing to his experiences with the VA, and the competition between UPS and the USPS as a reason for not going to a Medicare for all system, suggested that he doesn't understand well enough the difference between payers and providers.

[wasupaloopa]

9. That makes no sense to me. He surely has discussed the difference in his life time.

He wants completion between payers as we all do. He is for a public option competing with insurance companies. That was our position during the ACA debate.

[2naSalit]

3. I'm glad that the

network is having all these interviews. I get to see how they act one on one with a skilled interviewer since the odds any of them will be passing through Montana any time during the election season are pretty slim.

I think I won't be spending time on this one, saw what I needed to see in this interview.

[spooky3]

5. Me too. We have so many well-qualified candidates. And before one launches a campaign

one should have the basics down -- at least those that YOU are going to bring up as issues.

[wasupaloopa]

8. Just what are the basics? My guess it is what is popular on DU.

There is no such thing as the “basis.” That to me is a means to smear a candidate

He had a well thought out discussion of the health care issue IMO.

[ecstatic]

6. That mistake aside, I think he did an awesome job explaining why

the public option is the best option. We shouldn't be forced into single payer. We should have options. And if that puts private insurers out of business, so be it.

[wasupaloopa]

7. He wants competition between payers. Insurance industry vs public option

He is against forcing everyone into a single payer system with no choices. I agree with him.

[JI7]

10. and he thought he should replace Nancy Pelosi