CBS News poll: Most Americans favor a national health plan

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

With 12 Democratic candidates lined up for Tuesday's debate, Americans who tune in are likely to witness another spirited debate on health care — at least if previous debates can be any predictor. A majority of Americans agree with many of the Democratic presidential candidates in favoring some type of national health insurance plan, though most Americans still like the health insurance they currently have and do not want private insurance to be replaced by a public option.

Meanwhile, more Americans today approve than disapprove of the 2010 Affordable Care Act, though many — including most Democrats — now think the law didn't go far enough.

Fifty-six percent of Americans think providing access to affordable health care coverage for all Americans is the responsibility of the federal government, and two-thirds favor the creation of a national, government-administered health insurance plan similar to Medicare that would be available to all Americans.

-snip-

But few who favor a "Medicare for All" plan want it to become the only form of health insurance available. Six in 10 would want it to compete with private health insurance as a choice for those who want it, rather than replace all private insurance. Most Democrats hold this view as well.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/2020-polls-national-health-care-plan-favored-by-most-americans-cbs-news-poll-finds/

This is a follow up to an earlier post of mine.

It seems rather clear that a single payer plan to replace private insurance is a loser as a campaign issue.

We should instead push a public option. If that proves to be popular then we could push for single payer for all.

I like Elizabeth Warren but very much disagree with her current stance on healthcare.

[left-of-center2012]

1. "We should instead push a public option."

Yes, give us a choice.
Right now, I like my Blue Cross Medicare Advantage HMO.

[oldsoftie]

12. No you dont like it. Thats what Warren said in the previous debate!

I know several who enjoy their good plans.

[zaj]

2. The next step is Medicare Option

Just my prediction

[GreenPartyVoter]

14. I'm down with that.

[wasupaloopa]

3. Public Option?

A majority of Americans agree with many of the Democratic presidential candidates in favoring some type of national health insurance plan

Fifty-six percent of Americans think providing access to affordable health care coverage for all Americans is the responsibility of the federal government, and two-thirds favor the creation of a national, government-administered health insurance plan similar to Medicare that would be available to all Americans.

most Americans still like the health insurance they currently have and do not want private insurance to be replaced by a public option.

few who favor a "Medicare for All" plan want it to become the only form of health insurance available. Six in 10 would want it to compete with private health insurance as a choice for those who want it, rather than replace all private insurance. Most Democrats hold this view as well.

[zaj]

4. But championing Medicare for All...

Pushes the Overton Window open to enable Medicare Option

[TidalWave46]

6. Overton Window

The Overton window is the range of ideas tolerated in public discourse, also known as the window of discourse. The term is named after Joseph P. Overton, who stated that an idea's political viability depends mainly on whether it falls within this range, rather than on politicians' individual preferences.

Wiki

[TidalWave46]

5. We are way past this.

"We should instead push a public option."

That is what we did last time. It's now time to push for single payer so we can get our robust public option.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

7. When few people support it?

Good luck on that.

[TidalWave46]

9. Yes.

When the starting point is for a public option then the end result with be the ACA.

[zaj]

10. Yep.

[Midnightwalk]

15. Activists should definitely push

Candidates have to win the general election and I don’t want our candidate bogged down explaining that losing work insurance and raising taxes is a good thing.

We do need activists to continue to push for single payer.

This should be such an easy issue for us. I don’t think anyone trusts the republicans on this topic.

[Celerity]

8. Medicare For All WHO WANT IT (ie. The Public Option) is the winning path

But few who favor a "Medicare for All" plan want it to become the only form of health insurance available. Six in 10 would want it to compete with private health insurance as a choice for those who want it, rather than replace all private insurance. Most Democrats hold this view as well.

Straight, forced MFA will be an electoral disaster.

[zaj]

11. Yep... But people making the case for it publicly... Will help.

Not sure it should be any of the likely front runners.

[Celerity]

16. Pete v Warren (and Klobuchar v Warren) were all about that in the healthcare part of the

debate (and Biden has a similar plan too).


https://peteforamerica.com/policies/health-care/



In our country, the more than 27 million people who are uninsured are either paying too much for care or not getting the care they need because it’s too expensive.1 Uninsured individuals are less likely to access crucial preventive services—such as cancer screenings or cholesterol checks2—and more likely to forego care for chronic conditions, such as diabetes or heart disease. And 87 million people are underinsured, which means they’re also paying too much for care, in the form of high deductibles or out-of-pocket costs that make them more likely to struggle to pay for care or skip it altogether.3 We must ensure that everyone has an affordable option for health coverage that guarantees access to care when they need it.

We must ensure that everyone has an affordable option for health coverage that guarantees access to care when they need it.

Through Pete’s Medicare for All Who Want It plan, everyone will be able to opt in to an affordable, comprehensive public alternative. This affordable public plan will incentivize private insurers to compete on price and bring down costs. If private insurers are not able to offer something dramatically better, this public plan will create a natural glide-path to Medicare for All. The choice of a public plan empowers people to make their own decisions regarding the type of health care that makes sense for them by leveling the playing field between patients and the health care system. It gives the American people a choice and trusts them to set the pace at which our country moves in a better direction on health care.

snip

Pete Buttigieg’s Medicare-for-all-who-want-it plan, explained

Buttigieg is emphasizing choice in a plan that allows employer-sponsored and individual private insurance to remain.

https://www.vox.com/2019/9/19/20872881/pete-buttigieg-2020-medicare-for-all




a great interview (brand new) where is goes into it as well (and specifically the differences between straight MFA and the public option):

https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-new-yorker-interview/pete-buttigieg-talks-impeachment-health-care-and-the-political-spectrum

[ritapria]

17. OK . Let's have a Public Option for Social Security

See, How that would work ? The glorious insurance companies would price out the high risk people onto the taxpayers …...

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

18. Lame

[Scurrilous]

19. K&R

[Cha]

20. Brilliant! I'm thinking this makes Pres Obama happy!

Meanwhile, more Americans today approve than disapprove of the 2010 Affordable Care Act, though many — including most Democrats — now think the law didn't go far enough.

'Republicans will never stop': Obama slams GOP after ruling against Affordable Care Act

snip//

Former President Barack Obama responded Saturday on social media to a federal judge's ruling that core aspects of the Affordable Care Act were unconstitutional, calling the decision "a reminder that Republicans will never stop trying to undo" the protections offered by his signature health care law

"If they can’t get it done in Congress, they’ll keep trying in the courts, even when it puts people’s pre-existing conditions coverage at risk," Obama said in a Facebook post. "The only way to convince them to stop trying to repeal this law, and start working to make health care better, is to keep voting, in big numbers, in every election, for people who’ll protect and improve our care."

snip//

Barack Obama Tweet:

There are two things you need to know today about health care.

First, today’s the last day of open enrollment. That means it’s the deadline to make sure you and the people you love have health insurance in 2019. So head over to HealthCare.gov to get covered!

Second, you might have heard about a federal court decision on a Republican lawsuit trying to strike down the Affordable Care Act in its entirety. That can be a scary thing to hear, particularly if you or someone you c...
See More

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2018/12/16/obama-responds-obamacare-ruling/2329964002/

[peggysue2]

21. Pushing Medicare for All onto the public . . .

before they're ready to accept it would be a political/electoral disaster. In order to facilitate a huge change to the system the public has to be on board. We all watched the fury whipped up when the ACA was pushed through, even though 70% of the public was crying out for healthcare reform. The propaganda to kill the new healthcare law was vicious, right from the start. In this instance, that fury would destroy any chance of a M4A package; it would die in the crib. And it would be another generation before there's be any chance of reintroducing the idea of National Healthcare.

We have a structure. We have a good shot of introducing the public option, a change for which Americans are ready. Highplainsdem spoke yesterday in a post about The Art of the Possible. This is a moment when that idea absolutely applies. We provide the greatest good for the greatest number while continuing to push for universal care.

Or, we let Republicans snatch the ball and end up with nothing.

This is an easy choice.

[Algernon Moncrieff]

22. I think this answer always depends how the question is asked

Most Americans want healthcare coverage. Many want access to coverage. Many rural Americans would settle for local access to quality care. Pretty much everyone wants to pay less for healthcare. However:

- Not everyone likes the idea of Government healthcare because they either don't philosophically think governments should do these things or they don't like the idea of the government being that involved in their private business.

- Not everyone values the same things when it comes to selecting physicians. Some value getting to see their beloved family doctor; some value being able to see any doctor right now; some want only a doctor, while others are perfectly content with a PA or ARNP for minor stuff; some want to go straight to a specialist. MFA cannot please all of these (and many other) consumer sectors simultaneously.

The two best ways to combat medical inflation are to take the unpaid debt out of the system and to ensure preventative care for all. I'd start with public funding for care for checkups, vaccines, and ER visits for everyone; and comprehensive insurance for kids to 18 and seniors. I'd allow sliding scale buy-into a public option for everyone else or allow people to buy private insurance that suits their tastes and budget for everyone else. If you travel all the time and want a plan that allows you access to urgent care and telehealth, you should be allowed to buy that. If you want to go with a $5000 deductible (especially if you have the ability to withhold pretax into an FSA) and go for super cheap premiums, you should be able to purchase that. If you rarely travel and want access to primary care docs through a local hospital network without copays or deductibles, you should be able to purchase that. We are not a one-size-fits-all bunch in America.

I have a very different view than many here at DU. The fashionable position here is to demonize the health insurance industry. I'd argue that the bulk of the problem is three-fold: unpaid medical debt, pharma, and greedy providers. Many of the things we all hate about medical insurance are a direct result of providers gaming the system and bilking them. Providers frequently overstate care and charge exorbitant rates (in part to cover unpaid debt). Pharma charges more here than any other nation - because they can.

Klobuchar touched on a great point in the debate. Nobody is talking about LTC and that is a huge financial burden for families and will continue to be so for at least another 20 years as the boomers age and die out.