Full Text of the Medicare for All Bill

[George II]

18. This bill, if it's ever passed, would triple those on Medicare compared to today. Unfortunately...

...though, it's questionable how many skilled workers would be absorbed. There are only ten CMS Regional Offices around the country, those currently employed by private insurers are spread out all over the country.

Is it expected that they will pick up and move near the closest Regional Office?

Another thing that doesn't seem to be addressed in this bill is how drug prices will be negotiated with the drug companies. Let's say Medicare demands that drug prices be cut in half. All well and good for existing drugs. But if drug companies don't see a reasonable profit going forward, they will drastically cut back on research, and we'll see a lot fewer drugs being developed.

Unfortunately many look only at the cost of a drug as being comprised material costs and production costs, forgetting the cost of research and development, which is probably higher than any other industry.

The cost of research and development (which could be tens of millions even before a drug is released) is amortized into the ultimate selling price of the drug. That's why over time we see the prices of drugs drop significantly.

Of course there are scumbags in the industry, like that Shkreli guy, but there are scumbags in every industry and organization.

So, the bottom line is that if drug manufacturers are "forced" to lower prices, they'll throttle their future research into new drugs.

The same thing is for medical research by doctors and hospitals. If their prices are forced to be reduced, you won't find as many research facilities, hospitals, and even doctors

I think some of the provisions in this bill were written naively and not taking into account life in the real world.