After the setbacks suffered by the Republican party, whose members have tried several times to repeal and replace Obamacare, the Senator from Vermont Bernie Sanders decided to take matters into their own hands.
Today at a press conference in Washington D.C. he will officially present his bill on health care reform. It is noteworthy that a third of all Democrats of the upper house of Congress is ready to support the bill, and it is a kind of record.
What is the essence of the reform Sanders?
1. To whom does it effect?
The politician believes that the time has come to move away from the «dysfunctional, wasteful and bureaucratic health system» in favor of this, which will be available to everyone, and he therefore proposed «Medicare for all» (Medicare for All).
N. B. Now the insurance on this program is available only to those over 65and people under 65 years but with disabilities and renal insufficiency in the terminal stage (End-Stage Renal Disease, ESRD).
2. What is covered by insurance?
The new system will operate on the principle of single-payer, that is, to provide for insurance of all kinds of medical services.
Any medical care, whether it’s surgery surgeon care for pregnant and newborn or dental care, will be absolutely free, which implies the absence of any additional payments.
N. B. currently Medicare, though free, but not every plan covers the cost of some medical services. For example, for each visit to the doctor or to buy medicine will have to pay «out of pocket».
3. Why this can work?
Sanders borrowed the idea from the neighbors – Canadians, which is already a few decades use a single payer system. According to the politician, such a program “not only improved the lives of Canadians, but also saved families and businesses have a huge amount of money.”
4. How long will be the expansion of Medicare?
If the law is adopted, the first stage of introduction of the program will be issuing all citizens under the age of 18 so-called universal Medicare cards.
In the first year from the commencement of the «Medicare for all» in the policy will include dental, ophthalmological and ENT services.
At the same time and age, a necessary criterion for getting insurance, will be reduced from 65 years to 55 years.
It will decline gradually for 10 years as long as the program will not cover citizens of all ages. This will require four years.
5. Suppose that all have received their Medicare card. What else will change?
Bernie Sanders promises that after replacement insurance card patients do not have to get used to the new order.
“You will go to the same private doctor who had visited previously. You go to the same hospital where you went before. The only difference is just that instead of cards Blue Cross Blue Shield Association and disputes with your insurance company, you will have the card «Medicare for all». That’s all,” he says.
6. What are the pitfalls?
While the bill has not yet been presented to answer the question fully impossible. However, it is clear that the implementation of the new program will require large financial costs, and this is identical to raise taxes.
But Sanders and his supporters are trying to convince the public that despite these pitfalls, Americans no longer have to pay insurance premiums for health insurance and to employ any additional payments.
Who «for»?
Among the senators who are willing to promote this bill are names like Kirsten Gillibrand (new York), Kamala Harris (CA), Cory Booker (NJ), Elizabeth Warren (mA) and al Franken (mn).
It is noteworthy that according to rumors, each of them is going to nominate his candidacy in the following presidential election in 2020.
“Like Paul Wellstone, I have always believed that health care is a right for all Americans, not a privilege, and that every person in our country deserves access to care that is needed. The creation of a system of single-payer – the only way to achieve universal coverage, and the bill Senator Sanders «Medicare for all» will be an important milestone that will help us to achieve this goal,» writes al Franken in his Facebook.
Today I am announcing that I am cosponsoring Sen. Bernie Sanders’ «Medicare for All» bill.Like Paul Wellstone, I’ve…
Posted by U. S. Senator Al Franken on Tuesday, September 12, 2017
In an interview with journalists NJTV Cory Booker admitted that he supports Sanders from the following considerations: “You don’t have to endure the punishment and to denial of medical care due to the fact that poor or belong to the working class. I believe that health care should be a right for all”.
“Obamacare was the first step in moving the country forward, but I will not rest until every American does not get basic protection, with access to health care means”, – he added.
Twitter other politicians who supported reform, has filled the posts with a focus on accessibility of health care for all segments of the population.
Proud to announce my support for single-payer #MedicareForAll led by @SenSanders. Let’s make healthcare a right, not a luxury.
— Richard Blumenthal (@SenBlumenthal) September 12, 2017
«Proud to announce my support of the program single-payer «Medicare for all», led by Bernie Sanders. Let’s make health care a right, not a luxury.»
I support universal, affordable, accessible, quality health care as a right, not a privilege. #MedicareForAll pic.twitter.com/EOliwIXrxA
— Senator Mazie Hirono (@maziehirono) September 12, 2017
«I support a universal, acceptable and affordable, quality health care as a right, not a privilege. «Medicare for all»».
Against this?
It is likely that all the rest of the pharmaceutical industry, private insurance companies, wall street and the Republicans. Despite the loud voices of the Democrats, in fact, the bill has little chance to be accepted in Congress, where all chambers of the majority still remains «red».
John Barosso, Republican Senator from Wyoming, condemned the program as too costly and called it a “litmus test for the liberal left.”
“In the home state of Bernie Sanders already had a similar plan. They realized that they will have to double the taxes levied on the people of this state to realize, because it’s so expensive,” he said, alluding to the failed 2014 campaign for the reform of the health care system in Vermont.
Besides, not all members of the Democratic party support the idea of Sanders. For example, Nancy Pelosiwho is the leader of the minority in the House of representatives, stated that it represented a group of congressmen more concerned with the question of how to defend Obamacare against attacks by Republicans.
However, the offer Bernie Sanders is becoming more popular among the public, especially after he began his presidential campaign in 2015.
According to the survey conducted in June of the nonprofit organization Kaiser Family Foundation, which studies health issue in the United States, about 53% of Americans support the idea of a single payer system «Medicare for all».
This is three percent morethan the results of the same survey in February 2016. The number of opponents of such a system remains old – 43%.
