WHAT THEY ARE SAYING: Americans Urge Elected Officials To Build On What Is Working, Reject One-Size-Fits-All Health Care
WASHINGTON – As a new study provides the latest reminder that a new government insurance system would be a “stepping stone” to a one-size-fits-all system run by politicians, voices throughout the nation are encouraging elected officials to oppose a one-size-fits-all system that will force Americans to pay more to wait longer for worse care.
Carrie Collins-Fadell, Director of the Brain Injury Alliance of Arizona, Arizona:
… Whatever the name or moniker – Medicare-for-all, Medicare buy-in, a public option, or single-payer – increasing the government’s role in delivering health care might not be the preferred road to safeguard the leaps forward started by the ACA that have managed to survive the current administration. It’s crucial to make sure we don’t end up with a one-size-fits-all government insurance system that ultimately results in fewer options, diminished access for patients, and a lower quality of care for everyone.
Rather than potentially jeopardizing the quality of and access to care for those who are the most medically vulnerable, our leaders, or prospective leaders, should be focusing on making practical fixes to our current health care system in order to control costs and increase access … From expanding Medicaid in the states to increasing healthcare literacy, reprioritizing education and enrollment to expanding federal subsidies to help more Arizonians get covered – we need to work on expanding what’s working with the ACA and addressing what isn’t. This could be one of the keys to tackling the high cost of health care in our country while expanding access and coverage for more of those who need it.
… The more the public is learning about a “Medicare for All” or public-option system, the more they oppose a one-size-fits-all solution. A new poll shows that support for a government takeover of health care has declined over time. There are many ways to reach universal coverage, but taking one single path and driving out private insurance is not one we should consider.
Private insurance plans support local providers much higher than government plans. Medicare and Medicaid have a critical role, but studies show throwing out private plans for a public option would force rural providers to close their doors. Having coverage on paper is important. But health care needs to be sustainable for care to continue.
Paul DeMarco, Former State Representative, Alabama:
… Whether Medicare for all or a public option, any of these plans will eventually lead us to a government-controlled health care insurance system. Completely undoing the United States health care system and transitioning to a government-controlled one would significantly impact the quality of health care. Under any of these systems, private and employer-sponsored coverage would struggle to compete, which would slowly reduce options for consumers and would also mean fewer resources for health care providers.
… Alabama has already had 13 rural hospitals close in the past eight years, thus, the reality is we could even see more closures if these policies were to take effect … Medicare for all, a public option or single payer simply does not translate to good public policy for the Nation or Alabama. Candidates running for president should focus instead on ways to improve healthcare as opposed to one government option.
Paul Curry, Democratic Activist and Retired Teacher, Arizona:
…. When it comes to Medicare-for-all, presidential candidates simply couldn’t answer the question of how it would be paid for. Our current healthcare system has its problems, but a massive overhaul that puts our dysfunctional government in control will only create more problems.Small fixes to the Affordable Care Act would go a long way to ensuring more people get covered and rural healthcare systems are protected.
Hoppy Kercheval, Radio Host, West Virginia:
… Sanders and Warren want to extend government care – Medicare for All – to everyone, and it will be free. But of course, there’s no such thing as a free lunch … Credit Sanders for at least being relatively honest by saying that the middle class, as well as the wealthy, will see their taxes go up …Try as they might, neither the questioners nor candidates could get Warren to make that same admission … Berkeley Economics Professor Emmanuel Saez, who has advised the Warren campaign on the wealth tax, told Forbes, “Her taxes as they currently exist are not enough to cover fully replacing health insurance.”
By some estimates, ten years of Medicare for All will cost around $30 trillion. Yes, there will be expected savings, including no payments to for-profit health insurance companies and expanded negotiated provider costs, but she still comes up short.
Melissa Firstenberger, Teacher, Ohio:
… [T]he Affordable Care Act helped a lot of people in situations like me and fixed the flaws in the pre-existing condition determination and made health care accessible to millions. This is not a perfect system by any means, but it is one that we should build off and not scrap for more radical overhauls like Medicare for All or the Public/Buy-In Option.
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