THE WEEKLY SCAN: Key Stories In The Debate On America’s Health Care Future

Good Friday afternoon, and welcome to the Weekly Scan.  Here are some of the key stories you may have missed this week in the debate on America’s health care future:

• Even those pushing Medicare for All admit that the American public does not support their policy once they learn what it means.  As The Washington Post reported, “progressive activists have privately noted to [the paper that] the idea of a solely government-run health-care system doesn’t poll well with voters – that is, if what it might entail is explained to them.” 
  • This helps explain why, as The Post also noted, “[e]ven as progressives push for a Sen. Bernie Sanders-style bill to replace private health coverage with a government-run system, Democratic House leaders have tried to keep the focus on improving existing health-care programs.”
• As Sen. Bernie Sanders announced his presidential candidacy, the Partnership for America’s Health Care Futureexplained why his plan to upend our nation’s health care system in favor of starting from scratch with Medicare for All is the wrong path forward for America: “Each and every American deserves access to affordable, high-quality health care.  But as the conversation about America’s health care future takes shape within the 2020 campaign, poll after poll shows that most Americans favor protecting and strengthening what works in our nation’s current health care system and fixing what doesn’t – not scrapping our entire system and starting from scratch with a one-size-fits-all system,” said Lauren Crawford Shaver, the Partnership’s Executive Director.
  • As Kaiser Health News noted, “Democrats who have signed on to Sanders’ [Medicare for All] bill have endorsed legislation that would outlaw virtually all private health insurance.  That’s controversial.”
• That same day, the Partnership launched a new web video titled “More Problems,” exploring the opportunities and challenges to improving American health care, and warning Americans that – whether it’s called Medicare for All, Medicare buy-in, single-payer or a public option – a one-size-fits-all approach to health care will mean higher taxes and costs, and less patient choice for every American family.
  • The video – first reported by The Hill – has been heavily promoted on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter.  It explains: “Supporters [of Medicare for All] don’t talk about the trillions in higher taxes it’ll cost working families.  Or how it will move health care decisions from doctors and patients to politicians and bureaucrats. They don’t want anyone to notice that it’ll remove patient choice, while increasing wait times.  On top of that, it won’t even address the biggest problem our health care system faces – out-of-control costs,” The Washington Examiner reported.