Should the US Switch to a Medicare-for-All Healthcare System?

2020 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION SITE

Last updated on: 7/31/2019 11:50:04 AM PST

Medicare-for-All is a proposal to create a government-run single-payer healthcare system paid for by taxpayers. According to the Congressional Budget Office, "In a typical single-payer system, people enroll in a health plan operated by the government... Private insurance, if allowed, generally plays a relatively small role and supplements the coverage provided under the public plan." For related information, visit healthcare.procon.org.

Source: Congressional Budget Office, "Key Design Components and Considerations for Establishing a Single-Payer Health Care System," cbo.gov, May 2019

Pro

Hawkins

Con

Biden

Jorgensen

Trump

Not Clear or Not Found

Pro (Yes)

Pro

Hawkins
Green

"I support Medicare for All as a community-controlled National Health Service. It would adopt National Health Insurance for all in the first year, which provides a single public payer for all medically necessary services delivered largely by private hospitals and medical practices. Over the next decade, the system would be converted to a fully socialized medical system, with public ownership of hospitals and clinics, health care providers as salaried public employees, and the whole system controlled democratically by a federation of locally-elected health boards."

Source: Howie Hawkins, "Green Party National Women’s Caucus Presidential Candidate Questionnaire for 2020," howiehawkins.us (accessed June 24, 2020)

Con (No)

Con

Biden
Democrat

“I believe we have to protect and build on Obamacare. That's why I proposed adding a public option to Obamacare as the best way to lower costs and cover everyone. I understand the appeal of Medicare for All. But folks supporting it should be clear that it means getting rid of Obamacare, and I’m not for that...

I know how hard it is to get that [healthcare legislation] passed. I watched it. Starting over makes no sense to me at all. I knew the Republicans would do everything in their power to repeal Obamacare, they still are. But I'm surprised that so many Democrats are running on getting rid of it."

Source: Joe Biden, "Healthcare," joebiden.com (accessed Dec. 10, 2019)

[Editor's Note: On Oct. 30, 2019, Biden referred to his healthcare plan as "Medicare for all who want it." However, on Nov. 1, 2019 in an interview with PBS NewsHour, when asked about Medicare for All, Biden stated "Look, we don't have to go that route. All we have to do is go back, restore Obamacare, make it — provide a public option, further subsidize the ability to get into a gold plan. My plan will cost about $750 billion over 10 years. We can pay for that."

Sources: Stephen Gruber-Miller, "Joe Biden Describes His Health Care Plan Using Pete Buttigieg's Term 'Medicare for All Who Want It,'" desmoinesregister.com, Oct. 30, 2019

Judy Woodruff, "Watch Our Interview with Joe Biden," pbs.org, Nov. 1, 2019 ]

Con

Jorgensen
Libertarian

"Absolutely not! Government-managed healthcare (like the VA [Veteran Affairs]) has been a costly disaster.

Let’s be clear: We don’t have anything close to a free-market in health care, which is why it is vastly overpriced and mired in red tape. As president, I will work with Congress to remove every barrier to a free-market in healthcare. This will allow us to lower costs by at least 75% while driving up the quality, safety, innovation, and convenience of healthcare services."

Source: Communication from the Jorgensen campaign to ProCon.org on Aug. 26, 2020

Con

Trump
Republican

"Dishonestly called 'Medicare for All,' the Democratic proposal would establish a government-run, single-payer health care system that eliminates all private and employer-based health care plans and would cost an astonishing $32.6 trillion during its first 10 years...

I also made a solemn promise to our great seniors to protect Medicare. That is why I am fighting so hard against the Democrats' plan that would eviscerate Medicare...

The Democrats' plan means that after a life of hard work and sacrifice, seniors would no longer be able to depend on the benefits they were promised. By eliminating Medicare as a program for seniors, and outlawing the ability of Americans to enroll in private and employer-based plans, the Democratic plan would inevitably lead to the massive rationing of health care."

Source: Donald Trump, "Donald Trump: Democrats 'Medicare for All' Plan Will Demolish Promises to Seniors," usatoday.com, Oct. 10, 2018

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