Bernie Sanders: Single Payer never had a chance (March 2010)

[geek tragedy]

In other words, Tom Harkin is a dissembling blowhard.

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/sanders-single-payer-never-had-a-chance

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) reminded the progressive media gathered on Capitol Hill today that single-payer health care reform was dead before it started in the Senate.

"It would have had 8 or 10 votes and that's it," he said, addressing a topic central in the minds of many who the bloggers and left wing talk show hosts gathered for the 4th annual Senate Democratic Progressive Media Summit in Washington reach everyday.

More:

Sanders said it was still possible for single-payer to come to the U.S. eventually -- but he said the road will not begin in Washington. If a state like California or Vermont ever instituted a single-payer system on its own, Sanders said, it would eventually lead to national adoption of universal coverage.

[JI7]

1. i wonder why there is no effort to get it statewide by people who claim to want it

[geek tragedy]

2. The people who sent Bernie to Congress

are making such an attempt.

[antiquie]

3. What state are you talking about?

Health Care for All - California
California’s disappearing health care reform

Change is often slow. That doesn't mean we aren't working hard to attain it.

[JI7]

4. i'm talking about those who want to do away with ACA

[antiquie]

8. Is that what this topic is about?

I thought we wanted to improve ACA by removing the profit motive.

[msongs]

9. california has tried multiple times only to have governors veto it nt

[1StrongBlackMan]

27. Vermont is trying, since shortly after the ACA provided the mechanism; but, ...

haven't found the proper wand to wave or words to chat to make it work at the state-level.

Getting stuff done is always easy ... so long as all you have to is talk about it.

[mvd]

5. He's not a blowhard

He was a good Senator and showed his frustration. Like Sanders, I don't know if Single Payer would have come, only because The President never supported it and too many in our Party were afraid of it. But that was the fault of our Party - and combined with Repuke obstructionists, it made it hard.

[geek tragedy]

6. Bernie knows whether it could have passed

The answer is no.

Being genetically for single payer is easy. Getting it implemented cold turkey, impossible.

[mvd]

7. It could have passed if the Party supported it of course

It would have been popular with Americans if we explained what it was about. We should never give up on getting it passed.

[geek tragedy]

10. The part where you raise taxes on everyone and take away

their current healthcare plan and replace it with an untested government plan would have polled well, you think?

[mvd]

12. It would take a bit of time to adjust to and implement..

but yes it would definitely be the best option. It's not like it hasn't worked worldwide. We have a different system so it takes planning.

[geek tragedy]

13. That doesn't mean it would be popular. nt

[mvd]

15. It would be

Why not? Americans are happy with Medicare and all we would need is Medicare for All.

[geek tragedy]

17. How popular are taking away insurance plans and raising taxes

in general?

Most people dislike and distrust the government.

[mvd]

19. Taking them away? It's a much better system

It's either some taxes or high premiums. I would take taxes. Done with this argument; seems senseless to continue.

[geek tragedy]

23. "it's a much better system"

Not correct.

"It" doesn't even exist. People would have to take it on faith that it would work.

[mvd]

28. As a system it is better

Period. Why do you continue this? I have my opinion and you have yours.

[geek tragedy]

30. It does not exist.

You believe it would be a better system. That is an expectation not a fact.

[mvd]

32. Well worldwide it has worked better than our system

So am not just saying it. Unless you like a system that's more costly and less efficient. Anyway done here as said. We have said our opinions.

[MannyGoldstein]

34. There's an experimental single-payer program in progress

It's called "Medicare", IIRC. I believe that it's wildly popular among recipients and saves a fortune, but I'm not sure if it could work for many millions of people.

Maybe we should just end the experiment.

[geek tragedy]

36. Medicare is administered by private insurance companies. And its public coverage still

leaves patients covering a large part of their own expenses.

It's a great system for what it does, but it isn't single payer.

And, of course, to expand Medicare coverage you'd need to raise taxes.

[MannyGoldstein]

38. Are you sitting down? I have bad news.

Medicare is most certainly single payer:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Single-payer_health_care#National_policies_and_proposals
http://www.pnhp.org/facts/what-is-single-payer

And even according to your touchstone, Bernie Sanders:

"The good news is that, in fact, a large-scale single-payer system already exists in the United States and its enrollees love it. It is called Medicare."
- Bernie Sanders

Medicare also saves a fortune, with administrative costs that are something like 5% or less, vs. 20% or so for private insurers. That's a 15% drop, right off the bat.

[geek tragedy]

39. To me a single payer system is one where people don't need private insurance

Lots of people who are on Medicare wind up paying for private supplemental insurance because of its coverage drawbacks. Others need to go on Medicaid because of the shortfall in Medicare payments.

Medicare is a great program. But it still depends directly or indirectly on private insurers.

Medicaid is a much better model if you want to talk about moving to a true single payer system that makes private insurance redundant.

But, expanding Medicaid to everyone is not as marketable as Medicare, because Medicaid has a stigma and less powerful advocates.

[MannyGoldstein]

40. To you.

Ok then.

[SomethingFishy]

11. That's the thing with many Democrats..

"It's Impossible"... So we don't even bother trying.

Which leaves us with a system that decides who gets treatment and who doesn't by how much the corporations can profit off of it.

It's a sick, disgusting system, but we are supposed to be happy with it because "single payer could never pass".

[mvd]

14. Thanks. Glad you agree

[geek tragedy]

16. No, you aren't supposed to be happy.

You're supposed to make improvements where you can.

[mvd]

18. Guess we just have different expectations

[Sheepshank]

21. this is absolutley not true....

rw'ers are adamantly against any gov't sporsored health care. They are adamantly agains anything Obama introduces. The RW pundits take great care to coordinate and create fear laden lies to make sure they keep their little flock in line and walking the party line....look at all the foaming at the mount regarding ACA and the previous out of control rhetoric regarding death panels. Full blown single payer, solcialized or universal could never ever be implemented.

[woo me with science]

22. A public option was polling *very* well among Americans at the time.

The Third Way always wants to argue about single payer in order to try to obscure the fact that Obama sold us out on the real potential reform of a public option, which is what he campaigned on and promised to fight for.

Obama chose not to fight for a public option *after* he had promised to do so, *even when* polls showed that the country was strongly behind it, and *even though* public opinion could have been mobilized to demand it.

Not only did he make a backroom deal to kill the public option, he lied to the American people and claimed that he had never campaigned on a public option *after* the deal had been made, just as he lied to Americans that he would not support a mandate.

The truth is that he was working for the insurance companies' version all along.

[treestar]

31. You really think it would be so easy

as to have a President support it?

Or a few party leaders support it? Then all the rest will follow?

Who is the party? In your estimation it is only made up of the leaders. If they take something on, the rest of the party just goes along?

I'm in support of single payer, but I don't think blaming the leaders of the Democratic party alone is productive. How we are going to get single payer is the question. And that involves convincing a lot of voters.

[Sheepshank]

20. In a nutshell....this is exactly what anti ACA DU'ers have been told over and over

maybe, or maybe not, they will pay Bernie Sanders some heed.

I suspect this talking point doesn't really fit their agenda, so they will still rail against Obama and his lost opportunity at implementing something other than the current ACA.

[LawDeeDah]

24. Bernie Sanders is a hero - except when he is not.

I am impressed that he said it like the reality it is and not fudge around hoping not to upset the delusional. Also I hope some earwax drops out of some ears and listens to him.

[JI7]

25. maybe Harkin can work towards getting it within his own state

especially now that he will be leaving the senate so he will be able to be there the whole time .

[still_one]

26. and that goes for some here at DU who could not understand why Obama didn't go for Single Payer.

Because it wouldn't happen, and getting something was better than nothing.

Sanders is right, as usual, that states should start the move. I think California and/or Vermont would have a chance of Single Payer before the country

[Fumesucker]

29. It is insufficient that we eat the cold leftover peas, we must also smile and praise their taste

[geek tragedy]

33. No, just don't pretend steak was an option

and say it would have been better to starve.

[MannyGoldstein]

41. Thread win.

Now about that cat food...



Good luck getting it past my Senior Senator.

[MannyGoldstein]

35. But what if the President were in favor of single payer?

And fought for the thing?

Perhaps Harkin's... simply right. We'll never know.

[geek tragedy]

37. Maybe 10-12 out of 100 would have voted for it. Anyone who thinks that Obama

is the reason we don't have single payer is detached from reality.

[kelliekat44]

43. I tried to tell folks that. In fact, Obama actually favors single payer. He campaigned on it. nt

[geek tragedy]

44. he campaigned on it for a local Chicago race.

He didn't run on enacting a single payer legislation in 2008.

[Jim Lane]

45. Better question: What if Bill Clinton had been in favor of it?

If President Clinton had pushed it, he would have lost, but he would have laid the groundwork. There would now be millions of voters who had come of age hearing single payer given serious consideration as a policy option. Instead, it's not even on the radar for most people or for the Beltway Commentariat.

Medicare wasn't enacted overnight. It took decades of people pushing for it. Who was sitting right next to LBJ when he signed the bill into law? It was Harry Truman. Now you know why.

I agree with the Obama defenders who say that, if he had pushed for single payer, he would have lost. But maybe, in 2034, a septuagenarian Barack Obama could have been sitting next to President Castro when he signed the bill into law.

[fadedrose]

42. Thanks for your post

I've seen posts accusing Obama of not proposing Single Payer....

I watched minute by minute coverage of his speeches to the public promising a health bill and watched the Congress refusing to consider anything that either hurt their chances for reelection (Dems) or cost money (Reps.)