How single payer helps Republicans change the subject

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40. No one is stopping discussion of Single Payer & we should NOT be censoring health policy experts

The OP is discussing Single Payer and the real political ramifications (pro and con) of pushing it now. The Kaiser Family Foundation is a health policy think tank - it's their job to analyze health policy.

We need a much deeper actual discussion of it, not just yelling it as a slogan, with no real understanding of what is actually in it. The slogan yelling is what gives the GOP stupid prizes. "Medicare for all" and it's false comparison to Medicare is going to give the GOP as much ammunition as Obama did when he said, "You can keep your doctor." THAT is what is coming once they point out how different, and vastly more expensive it is than Medicare.


And about polls:

Reality check: Single payer is popular, but polling today doesn't tell us much about where the public will be if there is a national debate about actual single-payer legislation in the Congress. ACA repeal had the support of about half the public in Kaiser Family Foundation polling in late 2016 and early 2017, but fell to closer to 30 percent once there was an replacement plan under the microscope.

Support for single-payer falls by 10 to 20 percentage points when people are read common criticisms, such as that it will increase taxes or give the government too much control over health care. Arguments in favor, including that single payer will make health a basic right or reduce administrative costs, increase support by similar amounts.

So, if the GOP is able to hijack all the slogan yelling about "Medicare for All!" and turn it into "socialized medicine!!" (which it not, any more than it is Medicare) and turn public opinion against it - I highly doubt that you will think negative polls are a reason to reverse your support of it. Remember, they did that with the ACA.

So I would be cautious about using polls as a evidence that "Medicare for All" is or is not feasible.