BERNIE SANDERS TO SPONSOR SINGLE-PAYER HEALTHCARE BILL

[Omaha Steve]

Source: Newsweek

BY NICHOLAS LOFFREDO

Bernie Sanders is returning to a key campaign promise and will introduce a single-payer healthcare bill in the wake of the Republicans' Obamacare replacement defeat.

The Vermont senator said Sunday that he was willing to work with both Democrats and Republicans to provide "insurance for all," two days after the GOP leadership's American Health Care Act was pulled from the House floor to avoid a legislative defeat. Sanders' support for a single-payer system was a centerpiece of his unsuccessful run for the Democratic presidential nomination.

"Where we should be going is to join the rest of the industrialized world and guarantee healthcare to all people as a right," he said on CNN's "State of the Union."

Sanders' comments came a day after he told a crowd in Hardwick, Vermont, that Medicare-for-all is "a common sense proposal, and I think once the American people understand it, we can go forward with it,” according to Vermont Public Radio.

FULL story at link below.


Senator Bernie Sanders will introduce a bill that would establish single-payer, Medicare-for-all healthcare.
REUTERS

Read more: http://www.newsweek.com/bernie-sanders-sponsor-single-payer-healthcare-bill-574403

[jalan48]

1. Bernie's the Man!

[GeoWilliam750]

82. All that is needed to get President Trump to support Single Payer

Is to tell him that President Obama absolutely hated it.

However, to do that would require getting Fox or Breitbart publish it.

[yurbud]

102. we should buy a commercial on Fox

and make it look exactly like one of their show segments.

[jalan48]

103. LOL-you make a good point.

[IronLionZion]

122. The fact that the ACA is market based should do it

It always blew my mind that a regulated marketplace solution would be treated like some socialist takeover.

But then again it also blew my mind that some DUers would treat it like it was some sort of corporate hustle. When the truth was very centrist.

Trump has been on record supporting it before and could possibly do it again. Stranger things have already happened, like the fact that he's actually the president for instance.

[Fantastic Anarchist]

125. I've said it a few days ago ...

...now is the time to push it. Hell, even the coal miners at the town hall were screaming for it.

[50 Shades Of Blue]

2. K & R!

[CentralMass]

3. K&R

[Recursion]

4. He does this every year

Would love to see this one get somewhere, but I'm not holding my breath.

[mpcamb]

35. Good! 'Cause someone oughta! Where the hell are the actual Democrats?

Why didn't someone in the party beat him to it?

[chwaliszewski]

70. True

But he's a good person and that's good enough for me.

[Red Knight]

71. The "real" world is what we make it

At least in regard to insurance. We aren't talking about teleporting machines. It's insurance. It's a choice.

[Omaha Steve]

73. 13 million (over 40%) say otherwise

[bekkilyn]

90. Much of the "real world" already has what Bernie is asking

It's not that much to ask of Democrats who are *supposed* to be supporting the interests of the people rather than of the insurance companies.

[Amimnoch]

94. Very true. Much of the real world does already have it.

I'd also agree with you if you said that it's a horrendous blight on our posterity that we don't have it.

We couldn’t even get the government option on the original ACA with 58 Democratic Senators, and a majority in the house (to be fair, the House did pass it). It is pure fantasy to think that this Republican majority is in any way, shape or form going to support this.

With the current political reality, this is posturing at best.

To your last statement.. you are wrong. The actual DEMOCRATS were all onboard for the government option, however, the ACA was not a filibuster proof bill, and required the 60 for cloture. The ONLY way to get it passed with Lieberman’s sig was to drop the government option. You know, another one of those supposed Democratic Party supporting “independents”.

If he would stop this posturing, and actually become a Democrat, roll up his sleeves, and do the dirty work.. some of which is unpopular, with the Democrats.. the man might actually start to get real cred.

A+ on great ideas, D- on actual accomplishment. Might be why so few of his long time co-workers were willing to endorse him?

Real Democrats wouldn't waste time, and the limited political capital they have on something this fanciful. Maybe once #65 is knocked out there, and we have Congress again it'll be possible, but for right now.. it's a fantasy.

(on a separate note.. I am still going to call, and write to support it per the down thread information. It is a great idea, and at least my support of it will be counted)

[Fantastic Anarchist]

128. Now is the perfect time do it on the heels of the failed GOP bill.

The GOP needs a win somehow, someway, and many many could get on board, when if it's for political saving face. Bernie went to a town hall in the reddist district in the nation that voted for Trump by 70%, and they were screaming for single-payer. The Democrats would do well to hound the Republicans to do this while they are bloodied and bruised.

[Amimnoch]

135. It is an interesting tactic, but who would support from their side?

Certainly the feedom caucus (yes that was intentionally misspelled), who thought the current crap "repeal and replace" bill left too much of the ACA intact are not going to support it.

I must admit, I'm unfamiliar with the town hall you are mentioning. Did it include the 70% that voted for Trump at that town hall, or was it Bernie/Democratic Party supporters that made up the 30%? It is a most interesting turn of events if that crowd calling for it are the same ones that put the orange orangutan into office.

Is there any theoretical roll call vote on it yet? I'd be VERY curious to see the names that are considered potential yea's on this kind of legislation.

I absolutely love the idea, I just can't imagine that there would be 25 Republicans in the House willing to switch sides. Even if their constituents supported them, they'd be so branded as traitors by the masses in their party.

The Senate.. now that's an even more interesting one. We'd have to flip 12 R's to make it work. I see potential's as being Collins, Murkowski, Kirk, Heller, Graham, and possibly McCain being swayed/won/bargained over. To me, that's the best fantasy Senate team I can muster up, and that's only half of the required. Graham especially has been calling for bipartisanship, so I see him as the easiest sell.

As I said above, I'll do the writing, I've made the call in to the number supporting it, but really... I sooo don't see it happening right now.

[Fantastic Anarchist]

144. There were plenty of Trump voters. They had a panel of Trump voters, also ...

Most of them miners who voted for Trump thinking he was going to save them. Now they're pissed as Hell. One of the panelists was a miner who was livid that we didn't have single-payer ... Chris Hayes followed up with the crowd, and they have a loud cheer. Every time Bernie mentioned it, loud chorus. Even the Republican electoral rep was for it. I couldn't believe my eyes and ears.

This is a political winner.

The time to strike is now!

[Recursion]

97. No, almost no countries have national single payer systems

The vast majority either have national multi-payer systems, or local single-payer systems.

[Fantastic Anarchist]

129. No, many have both.

Many have two tiers. Single-payer and then multi-payer for those that elect to have extra coverage not covered by single-payer.

[Recursion]

131. Which is a national multi-payer system

You could do strict single payer on a very limited set of benefits, for instance, for the same actuarial effect, but no country I know of does that. (France comes closest, probably.)

[Fantastic Anarchist]

145. My father and uncle are doctors in France ...

...they have a two tiered system. Single-payer for everyone (which covers a lot) and then multi-payer, which covers non-necessities, I believe.

[Recursion]

147. Yeah, that's what I meant: France is closest to that model

Which, again, works. But is not single-payer.

[Ken Burch]

98. We ALL live in the real world.

You don't have to check your dreams and your soul at the door to live here.

(btw, in 2004, almost no one in mainstream politics would have said that same-sex marriage OR the idea of a black president represented "living in the real world. In 1960, none would have said the end of Jim Crow could happen in "the real world". In 1908, they'd have said women would never get to vote in "the real world&quot .

Every meaningful change that has ever happened in this country began with an "unreasonable demand" from below.

There's no other way to start the process.

And I know you'll despise Bernie for the rest of eternity, but he's doing no harm by pushing for this.

[Fantastic Anarchist]

130. "Be realistic. Demand the impossible!" 1968 Paris Anarchists

[Ken Burch]

132. "I will continue to be an impossible person as long as those who are now possible REMAIN possible."

-Mikhail Bakunin

[Fantastic Anarchist]

143. Nicely done!

He was a real firebrand.

[Amimnoch]

137. You do make some very compelling points Ken.

And each one of them are very factually accurate.

One thing to note though with regards to them:
In 2004, same sex marriage didn't happen, and wouldn't have. The Bush group would have used every bit they could muster from the DOJ to fight, and that may have been a VERY different outcome for the United States vs Windsor. 2013 had the right DOJ to help make it happen by forcing other parties to champion the deplorables cause, and with a justice like Kennedy, who was yet again the swing.. that made a world of difference.

1960 end of Jim Crow would have indeed been fanciful, especially with Ike at the helm. It took the right president, and the right congress to get it passed. Do you think the year mattered or the government we had at the moment?

Same with the suffrage movement. It happened when the right government, and momentum was behind it.

Right now we just won a HUGE victory just through their failure. They still have the orange orangutan in office, and majorities in both chambers of the legislature. They are fractured right now. This kind of bill, especially if it does happen to start gaining traction could have the detrimental effect of galvanizing them.

I agree there's no harm in putting out there, and keeping the conversation going though.

[bekkilyn]

138. We have a big mindset problem

It seems like many people think that if we can't have something RIGHT NOW, then it's not worth even attempting to do. It seems worse on the Dem side. For example, Republicans knew that they were never going to actually repeal ObamaCare when Obama was in office, but it didn't stop them from trying over 60 times. They persisted and what it accomplished was keeping "repeal ObamaCare a good thing" in the minds of their voters, particularly their low-information voters who had no idea what ObamaCare was or that it was the same as the ACA. They just knew that repealing was something they wanted and wanted as soon as possible and that Obama and Democrats and liberals were standing in the way of them getting this great and wonderful repeal!

So while we might not be able to get Medicare for all/single-payer RIGHT NOW, we're getting the idea into the minds of voters, and the more repetition, the more talk, the more submitting legislation we persist in doing, the more people are going to learn about it and WANT it.

Then when the right president and the right congress are in place, everyone wants it and the majority of the footwork and planning is already done.

But if go with the usual conservative, timid behavior and throw up our hands shouting, "Impossible! The time isn't right!" then when the right president and right congress are in place, they are still talking impossibilities because no one has been talking about it and we end up compromising 50 feet behind the starting line and end up with another conservative, right wing plan that Republicans would have done anyway had they been in power instead of Democrats.

That's why people criticize Dems about having no vision. We utterly refuse as a party to think BIG and BOLD, and that's what's desperately needed.

[Ken Burch]

139. No one disputes that having a sympathetic president, congress, and state legislatures matters.

what really mattered, in all of those cases, was effective grassroots mobilization. Without that, none of the leaders who agreed to the demands would have mattered.

Without the suffrage movement, Woodrow Wilson would never have changed his mind on his own and signed the amendment-an amendment that was sent to the states by a fairly reactionary Senate, btw.

Without the black freedom movement, neither JFK or LBJ would have made a major effort to fight Jim Crow...we can acknowledge the role they finally played in 1963 and 1964 and still recognize that they had to be pushed hard to play that role.

Without the persistence and impatience of the LGBTQ rights movement-a movement whose push for marriage equality was blamed by many Democrats for our party's defeat in 2004, btw-there's a good chace President Obama would never have backed marriage equality while still in office.

Yes, we need to elect good people to office. We are ALL in full agreement on that.

We need to work on the inside AND on the outside.

And most of the time, we have to demand the whole bakery to win the half a loaf.

Obviously Drumpf is still in office and the GOP still runs Congress. Bernie didn't introduce this bill expecting it to pass between now and 2018.

As to galvanizing our opponents...I'd say that's a risk, but the truth is that they are never NOT galvanized. They're galvanized by the fact that we're still ALIVE.

It's not likely we could do anything effective without further galvanizing them.

[yodermon]

101. NO NANCE. DAMMIT. *DEMAND* single payer, you MIGHT GET the Public OPTION.

Shoot for the moon, at least then you might get into orbit.

Stop with your "real-world" sensible woodchuck mockery. See how that has benefited Democrats.

Call me when your strategy gets us all the state houses and governorships back.

[Omaha Steve]

106. Some D's just won't support Berniecare

Like most R's.

US Senator Bernie Sanders: Real change never occurs unless ordinary people stand up and fight back.

[bekkilyn]

115. Sometimes I think moderate R's would pose less opposition

Most ordinary people like having healthcare.

[Ken Burch]

134. We would never have had the New Deal if there hadn't been strong grassroots support for socialism...

and even, in some cases, outright communism.

[Blue_Tires]

140. There's probably more pressing issues they're working on

aside from a bit of feel-good vanity legislation which doesn't have a snowball's chance of passing...

[Jonny Appleseed]

5. Start bringing in the hospital organizations and various lobbies and I'll believe it's not just a

stunt. I don't want to illicit the false equivalency: but repugs spent years trying to repeal Obamacare on the sole assumption that it wouldn't actually happen, and I don't want the same political theater to be used for legislation we actually need.

[Plucketeer]

25. The "Stunt" is on-going

It' performed by taking gobs of health insurance industry cash while telling us there's just no WAY that Single Payer can work here! Geez! We get Single payer here and where WILL Canadians go to get good health care when they need it???

[paleotn]

39. I hope ....

this....

We get Single payer here and where WILL Canadians go to get good health care when they need it???

is just missing the "sarcasm" emoticon. They get good health care in Canada. Canadians get a good chuckle out of ridiculous, Rethug BS like that. I can hear them now......"stupid Americans."

[Plucketeer]

56. Yeah

I usually don't use the sacasm thingy. I keep hoping (silly me) that it's evident without labeling - I mean - most of us aren't Morans.

[Recursion]

100. Canada doesn't have a system like Sanders is proposing

Last edited Mon Mar 27, 2017, 10:52 AM - Edit history (1)

Canada's system is financed and run by the provinces; the Canadian Federal government spends basically nothing on health care (they pay for some veterans' premiums to the state systems, as well as the territories and some First Nations clinics, but it's a minuscule amount).

[Plucketeer]

105. That's nice

My point was (initially) that we truly COULD have a health care system that wouldn't threaten one's financial stability if one needed care - no matter WHAT strata of class one hailed from. And HAVING such a health care system would place us in line with Canada, UK, Cuba, etc., etc. Level playing field and all that. At age 51, my firstborn is doing quite well for himself and his. I'd hate to find myself in a predicament where I had to hand him over to get the meds I need.

[LiberalLovinLug]

118. In Canada we have The Health Act

It is a federal law of requirements to the provinces to ensure minimum requirements are adhered to. It amounts to the same thing basically. Its a little frustrating because the more right wing provincial governments can try and walk as fine a line as they can with private clinics for non-basic care. And also asking for insurance payments from workers to offset the cost. I think the highest earners pay around $50 per month for singles. (still cheap from my understanding of what Americans pay)

But there are all kinds of single payer based systems all around the world. There's a lot of examples the US could take the best from a few of them and put together their own version. You have an advantage in a way of waiting so long.

[Recursion]

127. The Health Act mandate has no teeth, though

It works because the provincial governments have bought in to the principle behind it, and know the guillotines would come out if they substantively undid it.

In contrast, a third of the US states filed a lawsuit to keep the government from giving them money to expand Medicaid.

My point is we could copy the Canadian law verbatim and it wouldn't actually help because of our political system.

[LiberalLovinLug]

133. well, it is the law of the land

And it is backed up by the threat of withholding transfer payments which still is not chicken feed. Estimated at $36 billion for this year. Understanding we have 1/10 the population as the US. Sure provinces can interpret it in creative ways, the RW govs in their way of course. But in general it works.

And even in your country, now that the battle is over for now on the ACA, you see other States now caving and expanding the medicaid provision. Federal cash is just too tempting even if the governments don't give a crap about their citizens health care.

And yes, maybe the Canadian system can be better tailored, but its all about a tipping point when enough States buy in, they all will.

[Heartstrings]

6. It's the HR676 bill he's going to introduce...

Medicare for All...everyone is urged to contact their reps to fully support this!

Let's back our fierce warrior Bernie on this!!!! He's fighting for us!!

[JudyM]

7. 202-224-3121 - congressional switchboard. Calling counts, since they count calls.

[Heartstrings]

18. Also emailing, faxing...anything!

[HoneyBadger]

59. I absolutely love this bill, free healthcare for all

Who would vote against it? Only a monster.

[still_one]

153. Please explain to me why Congress will act on this bill again?

[humbled_opinion]

9. Considering that slightly more

than half of all Americans get health Insurance through their workplace and the medicare for all will upend all individual insurance (can't work without 100 percent participation), I feel that this is going nowhere. What is the incentive? Seems like it is the ACA forever.

[LiberalArkie]

12. The work insurance would probably become supplement to Medicare like my Blue Cross

is a supplement to my Medicare. The price that corp America is paying now would probably drop quite a bit.

[CountAllVotes]

14. *ditto*

Same here, I pay $104/mo. and the company that I left behind pays for the supplemental coverage as well as dental and vision care.

Not bad and yes, I worked many years for this and yes, I still pay UNION DUES.

UNION YES.

[skylucy]

26. +100

[True Blue American]

54. So do I! Voluntary, but

Gladly. The union gives me vision care and helps pay most of the Medicare cost. I pay small co-pays and the Insurance actually cover more each year.

We need Medicare for all. Many more states are now joining Medicaid since the ACA is here to stay.

I am so proud of those people,who flooded Congressional offices. Several Republicans were on yesterday saying we just need to fix the problems.

Kasich was almost foaming at the mouth he was so angry they would try to take health care away from poor people. Said he did not plan on running again, but would still be around.

I think that boy really got religion over this.

[CountAllVotes]

57. It just proves the power of the Unions

They are not impotent by a long shot. My friend in the Union was so pissed that dues being paid are now 8X voluntarily so they'll have the money they need to fight this garbage.

Don't let them screw over the Boomers that paid into this whole system. They are the ones being targeted and it sucks!

Some of the elderly I know are very well off and are pukes. Maybe they have been awakened I can only hope as they were complaining about having to pay over $300/mo. for Medicare with stock dividends over $200K a year!!!

[Stardust]

149. Why are their Mcare premiums so high? Mine are about a third of that.

[CountAllVotes]

155. Medicare premiums are based on gross income

These two people are both millionaires. They had stock market dividends of over $200,000.00 last year and their Medicare part B premiums were adjusted accordingly.

More here:

https://www.medicare.gov/your-medicare-costs/part-b-costs/part-b-costs.html

File individual tax return:

above $160,000 up to $214,000 $348.30

And to think they moan about having to pay $348.30 because they have such a high gross income based on income!

[Stardust]

159. Yeah, my heart bleeds for them.

[CountAllVotes]

160. One of these people does not mind paying the $300+

The other one is a non-relative as I call her. She is an old b*tch with loads of bucks and so damn cheap it is sickening. She is 85 years old and she takes loads of drugs (narcotics). I wonder if they are drug testing her now too? Is she humiliated?

I have no sympathy for these types either. They could never buy insurance no matter how much they could pay.

As far as I am concerned, having Medicare at $300 a month because you have stock dividends in that range, much much more could easily be paid!

I am so sickened by these sorts I cannot take it. The old b*tch WAS a Democrat but voted for tRump because her pig kid told her to do so (he's a retired cop).

Sympathy for the devil? Not around here!!

[HoneyBadger]

60. This bill puts everyone residing in America into the union, but without the onerous dues

It really is the best of all worlds

[brooklynite]

75. Perhaps not "onerous" but definitely dues...

Medicare for All will be paid for through an aggregate tax increase.

[HoneyBadger]

83. For the most part from the top 5 percenters

Family incomes over $166k?

The program is funded: (1) from existing sources of government revenues for health care, (2) by increasing personal income taxes on the top 5% of income earners, (3) by instituting a progressive excise tax on payroll and self-employment income, (4) by instituting a tax on unearned income, and (5) by instituting a tax on stock and bond transactions. Amounts that would have been appropriated for federal public health care programs, including Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), are transferred and appropriated to carry out this bil

[Heartstrings]

85. I do believe the VA would be included in this as well...

[Fantastic Anarchist]

142. It would pretty much pay for itself ...

...without all the overhead and administrative costs on both the provider and payer sides. Also, a win for business because they can compete internationally against companies that don't have to bear health insurance costs.

There's so many wins in this.

[Omaha Steve]

107. Is it better than Obamacare or not?

[CountAllVotes]

104. Onerous dues?

I give them $1 a month. If that is "onerous" that is ridiculous!

I'd give them 100X that much if they needed it given all I am getting out of this deal!

Some people want the best of both worlds without contributing a dime to it. That inevitably = FAIL and a giant FAIL at that!

UNION YES!!!!

[HoneyBadger]

146. Healthcare is a right

Everyone should have the same free single payer healthcare regardless if they arrived in the US today, worked for a union for 20 years, or were elected to Congress.

[CountAllVotes]

156. I worked a Union job for one reason: Benefits

I never made jack as a worker (barely $10/hr.) but at least I had Union benefits.

It was a switch off -- take the job that paid more and had crappy benefits or vice-versa.

My late mother advised me to take a job working for "a big outfit" as I'd find better benefits and likely a lower rate of pay but that was to be expected anyway being I am woman, not a man.

Some of us old school women that worked our entire lives but never made a cent to brag about regardless of how much education you managed to get, you were stuck and you knew it.

So, I took my mother's advice and took the Union job with the good benefits.

If paying $1.00 a month is too much (and voluntary at that) well I'm sorry that you cannot see the reasoning behind it.

I agree healthcare should be for everyone YES but it doesn't seem to quite work that way yet. Maybe it will someday but I'm not holding my breath lying in wait for it to happen.

[humbled_opinion]

117. LOL you pay for your supplemental

Employers may choose not to pay supplemental insurance and what percent of pay do you all think will be needed to cover everyone?

[Talk Is Cheap]

13. Business would love to not have to worry about providing health insurance...

Medicare for All would streamline healthcare in America making it more
efficient and cost effective.

[TexasBushwhacker]

37. If this is the plan he proposed during the primaries

then it would be paid for kind of like Social Security; employees pay a percentage of their income and so does the employer.

I think most employers would be thrilled to get out of the insurance business. It's a lot of paperwork and headache. Ultimately, I think most employers would save money. The big ones may pay more, but small to medium businesses don't get good rates. Considering the biggest employer for Medicaid recipients is Walmart, I wouldn't mind a bit if they were paying more of their fair share.

[Talk Is Cheap]

41. Also, people could change jobs or start a business and not have to worry about...

....god damn health insurance.

I believe all healthcare should be under the Medicare for All (or Health Security Administration).
That way, health care from -9 months old to one's demise is covered. This include the VA as
well.

[HoneyBadger]

61. Since it is free, you would eliminate Medicaid

Since Medicaid would no longer be worth getting

[TexasBushwhacker]

68. They would likely role Medicaid into Medicare

And Medicare for the elderly is just Medicare. There may be some deduction from Social Security payments, but it all just depends on how it is set up.

Setting up a public option would be a good way to transition. If your employer doesn't offer health insurance or you don't like their plan, you sign up for Medicare and pay X% of your wages and your employer pays Y%.

And we MUST do something to control provider and drug costs. Insurance companies should have been doing that all along. They got some discounts, sure, but not what they should have been. There is no logical reason that a hip replacement cost $12K in one part of the country and $80K in another. More in Boston than Birmingham? Sure, but not over 600%.

[HoneyBadger]

84. Sounds more like defunding the Medis

And using the money for this....


he program is funded: (1) from existing sources of government revenues for health care, (2) by increasing personal income taxes on the top 5% of income earners, (3) by instituting a progressive excise tax on payroll and self-employment income, (4) by instituting a tax on unearned income, and (5) by instituting a tax on stock and bond transactions. Amounts that would have been appropriated for federal public health care programs, including Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), are transferred and appropriated to carry out this bill.

[paleotn]

46. Exactly!!!

From a competitive standpoint, American corporations are competing with a ball and chain around their leg....with an arm tied around their backs....due to our idiotic, private health insurance system.

[PoliticAverse]

93. Some would, some would not. Some business use health insurance to keep employees from switching jobs

too easily.

[Plucketeer]

27. So - while we're #1

We get that status by showing the rest of developed nations how stupid they are with their affordable - no one's left out - health care.

[paleotn]

43. The incentive?

We have the most expensive and least efficient healthcare cost system in the industrialized world...quite possibly in the entire world.....private insurers. Of the hundreds of billions of dollars the private healthcare insurance industry brings in every year, 20% roughly is spent on overhead and other costs of sales, exec salaries, shuffling paper and figuring out how to deny claims. Only 80% actually goes to healthcare providers. Medicare, a good analog for a single payer system, has only about 3% overhead. A large

Canadian hospital, in Toronto or Montreal has only a hand full of people administering the payment system. In the US, hospitals of similar size have many, many, many times that amount of administrative overhead dealing with multiple private insurers as well as Medicare and Medicaid.

Ask any MD or physicians group what's the biggest headache and most wasteful part of their operation....and without a shred of a doubt it's dealing with a byzantine insurance system. It's like it was drawn up by a bunch of drunk guys. Chimpanzees would have come up with a better system. The rest of the industrialized world laughs at our stupidity.

[Fantastic Anarchist]

148. Back when I was researching this, it was 32% overhead vs. 3% for Medicare.

I guess the ACA lowered that, maybe? I did my research before it was implemented, so that could account for the difference. We still pay way too much on non-health insurance, though.

[babylonsister]

88. The incentive is the other half of Americans

with no insurance. That's a pretty huge incentive imo.

[IronLionZion]

121. It's the pro-business plan if you think about it

it is the best deal for employers and gives them the lowest costs.

Personally, I think catastrophic or major medical insurance should be universal for everyone and not optional. Because one never knows when something big is going to happen to you.

People could get supplemental insurance through work or individually for the lower cost things, or pay cash if it is affordable without insurance.

[Sienna86]

10. Can't wait to call my reprepresentive regarding co-sponsoring

Perfect sane response to the past weeks' insanity.

[romanic]

11. YES!!!

[rurallib]

15. Halle - freaking - luliah!

there better be some Dems backing him up!

[TomCADem]

16. Will He Get It Scored By the CBO?

And, will the alternative of adding a public option to the ACA as originally planned be looked at?

[TheDebbieDee]

17. Even if it never goes anywhere it's important to bring this option before the public...

I sent an e-mail to my red-state Dem Senator, Claire McCaskill, that she should make herself useful by presenting some legislation to regulate the US pharmaceutical industry with regard to prices and patent control. I told her that she could mention her legislation during her weekly visits to Morning Joe (I'm assuming she still goes there once a week - I haven't watched Morning Joe since the spring of 2014). I also said that her action might cause republicans to start running around with THEIR hair on fire for a change. Republicans might rush to explain to the American public why an unregulated US pharmaceutical industry and HIGH PRESCRIPTION DRUG PRICES are good for America!

I'm sure Sen McCaskill will do nothing, tho and that is why I closed my e-mail with the fact that I look forward to voting for any Dem that primaries against her.

I also have Sen Roy Blunt - this ba$tard has disconnected his voicemail and he's never responded to any of the emails I've sent him. In my last email, sent last Sunday, I asked if his on-going silence with regard to Trump's Russian ties was due to the possibility that the Russians had hacked his emails, too and were threatening him with something they'd found!

I'm BEYOND sick of "sell out" republicans and I'm fed up with weak, red-state Dems...

[TEB]

19. I love Bernie he speaks how i feel

Bernie is genuine kind caring person

[democrank]

20. Single Payer.....Bernie in the Senate

and help from Peter Welch in the House.

[kacekwl]

21. Hopefully others will jump on board and help

explain to the American people what they could have , should have. Go Bernie.

[riderinthestorm]

22. YES!!!!! Go Bernie! This is the best response to the defeat of AHCA nt

[kacekwl]

23. Finally watched SICKO yesterday.

Everybody should it will open eyes to the disaster American health care is.

[paleotn]

47. Bingo.

[myrna minx]

24. K&R

[Ferretherder]

28. Bernie,........

...takin' it to the streets!

...hopefully!

[msongs]

29. good. dems need to control the agenda nt

[still_one]

152. and how are they going to do that when they do not control either house?

2018 will be the next chance for that

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

30. More to get it on the record

We know it's not going anywhere in this congress.

[hrmjustin]

31. I think he should go for it.

[HoneyBadger]

32. Berniecare

[Ligyron]

33. Let's take note of any Dems who are against this and tell us, as some have:

"never ever".

[Honeycombe8]

34. It won't go anywhere, but it's important to keep proposing responsible health solutions.

No one can say that Bernie hasn't offered up solutions, instead of just proposing to repeal this or that, like the Republicans have done for 8 years.

[beam me up scottie]

36. Recommended!

Keep beating that drum, Bernie and Peter - save the ACA but fight for something better - Medicare for all. We can do both and now that people are waking up and realizing that health care is a basic human right we have the public on our side.

[NurseJackie]

38. It's likely dead on arrival...

... in my view.

[truebluegreen]

40. And that's how to get it done! In my view.

Nothing happens unless we try...or do you think the healthcare industry will just roll over and do the right thing?

[NurseJackie]

42. What's the point if compromise is off the table?

Without a willingness to compromise, that means it's not serious, therefore it's just grandstanding. We wouldn't have the ACA if we hadn't been willing to negotiate. Holding the line and being stubborn for pride's sake means you get nothing.

Just being realistic. Don't get your hopes up.

[LakeArenal]

45. What a buzz kill...

[Heartstrings]

66. No kidding...way too much negativity

[brooklynite]

76. Reality frequently is...

[LakeArenal]

77. What I commented on is not reality

It is speculation.

[Tom Rinaldo]

99. Yes it is. It also can be changed over time

Back when President Obama first tackled health care reform his administration concluded that Medicare for all was too extreme a proposition, for political reasons, to even be put on the table along with numerous other options, to even consider. Perhaps he was right. Perhaps that is still true. If so it is less true today than it was in 2008. By 2020 it might clearly be false.

When Norman Thomas ran for President as a Socialist the platform he ran on was widely thought to be too extreme, for political reasons, to be seriously considered. Perhaps it was, then. It later was largely adopted by the Democratic Party and made into the law of the land.

An idea often first needs serious advocates in order for it to finally be taken seriously. Momentum for single payer is growing, and this is how that is done.

[paleotn]

49. Where the negotiations start from....

is as important, sometimes more important than the compromises themselves. Bernie's annual single payer bill keeps the ultimate goal at least on the table. Maybe not realistic exactly right now, but it keeps the elephant in the room in everyone's mind....single payer is vastly better and more efficient than the insane, f____d up system of private health insurance. A realistic compromise could be a public option...which in my mind is an effective way to slowly bleed the private insurance monster to death. Unfortunately, 8 figure insurance execs very well know that too. Funny, there's no 8 figure executives running Medicare. I wonder why that is?

[truebluegreen]

51. LOL

Compromise, with Republicans? Or insurance companies?

Give me a break. The only way either one will EVER move an inch is if we throw them to the ground, jump up and down on them, and beat them with sticks.

And you know what? That just happened. When phone calls to a congressional office are running 1900 against repeal to 30 for, I think we have gotten people's attention.

When Republican senators are saying they can't back the earlier, moderate* version, as being too draconian, too unpopular, that means there has been a sea change. The tide is going the other way and this is no time to offer appeasement, or compromise, or half measures.

Get the idea out there. Talk about the numerous benefits, talk about fixing the system once and for all. Sell it as Medicare for all! Shit, we can even call it the TrumpCare our Dear Leader promised, if it makes them, and him, happy.

The point is The Solution is out there. It is simple ( relatively speaking), it is popular and it works.
Let's push it. Let's generate some enthusiasm, and let's give people a positive reason to come out and vote.

Or we could sit on the sidelines, and wait.


*moderate and Republican don't belong in the same sentence. Ever.

[FDRsGhost]

87. The point shows the American public Democrats are fighting

FOR something instead of "the anti-Trump party". This is how you get people to voting booths during midterms which have traditionally low turnout. No white flags, fight!

[HoneyBadger]

53. Why would that be, it is such a good idea, so simple

Eliminates all the concerns about picking between plans and the Republicans get to say that they repealed Obamacare.

Win for all, especially those who find picking the best insurance to be overwhelming.

[Heartstrings]

63. C'mon man...stop with the negativity!

[George II]

65. With a republican majority in the Senate, will it make it out of committee, or even be considered?

[babylonsister]

89. You mean that majority that just lost on healthcare?

Maybe they'd embrace something more positive than what they proposed. We'll never know unless someone at least tries.

[JCanete]

74. in a Republican run congress, ya think? It is a plan proposed that shows liberals have solutions

to improve upon what Obamacare started, whereas republicans only have plans to hurt the American public to line their own pockets. While he has the visibility he has, which he may not always have I think you'll agree, it is important that he continue to present big ideas to the american public so that they can internalize an entirely different narrative than what is typically sold to them, about what is desirable, responsible, and possible.

[IronLionZion]

123. Just like any chance of a Trump presidency

yet that buffoon is the president, somehow. So the impossible has already happened.

We'll never know if we don't try.

There was a time when Obama's reforms were thought to be impossible.
There was a time when Johnson was thought to never get Medicare or Medicaid, or civil rights, or immigration reform.

Some racist sexist asshole actually thought slipping women's rights into the civil rights act would sink it. It didn't.

[FailureToCommunicate]

44. Thanks Bernie!

And thank you O.S. for posting.

Cheers,
FTC

[Tatiana]

48. Now is the time. The momentum is with improving our health care system.

This is a good way to do it. Let's use the disarray with the Republicans to try to sneak this in (and through).

Do some polling, gather some data. Find the states and districts with the highest number of uninsured and let's push from the ground up. Democrats will get you covered with this bill. We keep what was great about Obamacare and we bring down costs by forcing 100% participation.

Maybe we can dangle this carrot in front of SCROTUS. Want a way to pay back those uppity Republican legislators? Want to notch a win? Sign our single-payer health care bill.

[MissMillie]

50. I love it.

He's jousting w/ windmills. But I love it.

It's the right thing to do.

I love it.

[Langkous]

52. Right on

Hope for the future

[Beartracks]

55. You go, Bernie!

================

[lapucelle]

58. Is Sanders reintroducing S.1782 (American Health Security Act of 2013)

or will it be a different bill?

https://www.congress.gov/bill/113th-congress/senate-bill/1782
https://www.congress.gov/bill/113th-congress/senate-bill/1782/text

[HoneyBadger]

64. No

He is associated with S915, which has a ridiculous amount of waste, basically a separate organization for each state. HR676 is by far a simpler plan and that makes it better.

[lapucelle]

86. As of yet, there is no related Senate Bill for HR.676.

Conyers has been trying to get something done on this bill since 2003.

https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/senate-bill/915

[harun]

109. HR 676 has always been the best bill. Keeping the dream alive.

[lapucelle]

141. Sanders was a co-sponser of HR.676 in 2003

when he was a congressman. Maybe he plans on introducing a senate version of the bill.

The single payer bill that Sanders did introduce in 2013 is different from the Conyers bill.

https://www.congress.gov/bill/113th-congress/senate-bill/1782?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%5B%22S.+1782%22%5D%7D&r=2

[Sunlei]

62. What America needs more of, Our elected Senators introducing bills to improve healthcare system!

This man works FOR ALL Americans, Thank you Bernie Sanders.

[JudyM]

92. Very direct, Bernie's MO: potential solution to a problem, not helping line others' pockets.

[Sunlei]

95. Few elected even have the ability to propose bills, each elected should propose as many as possible.

Love that gif, the dolphin & kitty having an affectionate contact moment. Wonder where that is? where a lonely dolphin reaches out cross species with dock cats for contact&love

[JudyM]

96. Yeah, it's a heart-melter for me too.

[Lunabell]

67. Bernie tells it like it is.

Single payer is the way to go.

[chwaliszewski]

72. Love me some Bernie!

[Bayard]

78. GO BERNIE GO!

This is what every single Democrat in Congress needs to be doing right now: giving Americans real healthcare, and SCREAMING the differences between this bill, and the Rethugs sorry-ass misogynistic version of last week. Bernie is on every single show he can get on right now, pounding the message. If we can generate the same numbers of marches and town halls for Bernie's bill, as came out against the Rethugs bill, we have a chance. It certainly made a difference last week.

[dchill]

79. K&R.

[Mme. Defarge]

80. Woot!

[LompocDem]

81. Striking while the iron is hot!

This kind of statement from all progressives in congress should be used to expose the dichotomy of the right and left as to what and whom the changes that the Republicans proposed in panic to try to get the bill passed. AARP ran may adds that exposed the 5x markup in premium rates allowed for people 50 and older. The need to expose the fact that the ACA capped this increase at 3X is a great talking point but the fact is that the 3X cap was actually a concession by the Dems because of the political climate then to help get the bill passed. There are a multitude of concessions that our party gave in order to get the bill on the floor that somewhat crippled the ACA from the start but the addition of so many millions of newly insured and the prospect of lowered costs because of having low cost comprehensive primary care that covered a minimum standard of services was undermined by the lowered reimbursement rate until the insured met their yearly deductible. That is one concession that, even though may have been needed to get the bill passed, helped turn people against the ACA because it increased costs to those who were used to a 30% or so copay on healthcare hospital services and were hit with a 70-80 percent copay rate until they met yearly deductible. If you're like me, I may have a major medical event once every 4 years (will increase in frequency 'cause I'm 64 this June) but that frequency of medical events will increase at a much higher rate if I have to pay that 70-80 percent of basic care and lab tests every year. I'm rambling but I know that the deficiencies in the ACA are fixable and it is my hope that the disaster and criminality of the current administration is exposed and prosecuted so that the down ballot candidates on the right are held accountable for their attempt to lower the amount time most Americans will live on this earth.

[demmiblue]

91. K&R

[Kimchijeon]

108. K&R Now's a great time to push for what's right.

I'm so sick of seeing excuses and ninnying about how it can't be done etc. We need to push for the right thing, and this is the right thing. We need single payer!

[WinkyDink]

110. And a Senator can do this how?

[Omaha Steve]

111. Government 101: How a Bill Becomes Law

http://votesmart.org/education/how-a-bill-becomes-law

A. Legislation is Introduced

- Any member can introduce a piece of legislation
House

- Legislation is handed to the clerk of the House or placed in the hopper.
Senate

- Members must gain recognition of the presiding officer to announce the introduction of a bill during the morning hour. If any senator objects, the introduction of the bill is postponed until the next day.
B. Committee Action

- The bill is referred to the appropriate committee by the Speaker of the House or the presiding officer in the Senate. Most often, the actual referral decision is made by the House or Senate parliamentarian. Bills may be referred to more than one committee and it may be split so that parts are sent to different committees. The Speaker of the House may set time limits on committees. Bills are placed on the calendar of the committee to which they have been assigned. Failure to act on a bill is equivalent to killing it. Bills in the House can only be released from committee without a proper committee vote by a discharge petition signed by a majority of the House membership (218 members).
Steps in Committee:

Comments about the bill's merit are requested by government agencies.
Bill can be assigned to subcommittee by Chairman.
Hearings may be held.
Subcommittees report their findings to the full committee.
Finally there is a vote by the full committee - the bill is "ordered to be reported."
A committee will hold a "mark-up" session during which it will make revisions and additions. If substantial amendments are made, the committee can order the introduction of a "clean bill" which will include the proposed amendments. This new bill will have a new number and will be sent to the floor while the old bill is discarded. The chamber must approve, change or reject all committee amendments before conducting a final passage vote.
In the House, most bills go to the Rules committee before reaching the floor. The committee adopts rules that will govern the procedures under which the bill will be considered by the House. A "closed rule" sets strict time limits on debate and forbids the introduction of amendments. These rules can have a major impact on whether the bill passes. The rules committee can be bypassed in three ways:
Members can move rules to be suspended (requires 2/3 vote)
A discharge petition can be filed
The House can use a Calendar Wednesday procedure.

FULL details at link!

[demmiblue]

112. Even better:

[bekkilyn]

116. +1 (nt)

[Perseus]

113. You want congress and the senate to get serious about this?

Very simple...Eliminate their "Universal Health Care" that we the Tax Payers pay for, make them have to use whatever the country will use, why should they have a special treatment? I bet that will bring universal healthcare for everyone very fast. They and their families can sign up for Obamacare, or if one of these days they get to repeal it, then they can sign up for "RyanCare" too, that will bring a change.

[brooklynite]

114. ...and how do you implement THIS?

[Omaha Steve]

120. See replies #111 & #112

[Stardust]

150. Aren't congress members required to have Obamacare? I thought that was part of the ACA.

[wishstar]

154. Yes, IS already law that Congress is on Obamacare- they sign up through a DC insurance exchange

But, their employer the Fed Govt pays about 3/4 of the of the cost of premiums. So even though they are under ACA and their incomes are too high for subsidies under ACA, their employer is paying for most of their insurance. For instance of a $1300 per month premium for a couple, Fed Govt pays all but about $350 per month.

[Stardust]

158. Whoa! Thank you for that information. I had no idea, but should have known.

[MadDAsHell]

119. So we spent $2 trillion dollars to further entrench a broken system with the ACA..

And now we're going to undo it?

Next time I'd prefer NOT doubling down on a broken system, saving the $2 trillion, and skipping right to this.

But that's just me.

[IronLionZion]

124. Does he have a Senate version of Conyers' HR 676?

If so, that would be sweet. The fact that the GOP is in charge of both houses and the white house might encourage our Dems to unite and be on record supporting it. That may be wishful thinking but it's worth trying.

[IronLionZion]

126. Bernie's plan to pay for it:

https://berniesanders.com/issues/medicare-for-all/

A 6.2 percent income-based health care premium paid by employers.
Revenue raised: $630 billion per year.
A 2.2 percent income-based premium paid by households.
Revenue raised: $210 billion per year. This year, a family of four taking the standard deduction can have income up to $28,800 and not pay this tax under this plan. A family of four making $50,000 a year taking the standard deduction would only pay $466 this year.
Progressive income tax rates.
Revenue raised: $110 billion a year. Under this plan the marginal income tax rate would be:
37 percent on income between $250,000 and $500,000.
43 percent on income between $500,000 and $2 million.
48 percent on income between $2 million and $10 million. (In 2013, only 113,000 households, the top 0.08 percent of taxpayers, had income between $2 million and $10 million.)
52 percent on income above $10 million. (In 2013, only 13,000 households, just 0.01 percent of taxpayers, had income exceeding $10 million.)

Taxing capital gains and dividends the same as income from work.
Revenue raised: $92 billion per year. Warren Buffett, the second wealthiest American in the country, has said that he pays a lower effective tax rate than his secretary. The reason is that he receives most of his income from capital gains and dividends, which are taxed at a much lower rate than income from work. This plan will end the special tax break for capital gains and dividends on household income above $250,000.

Limit tax deductions for rich.
Revenue raised: $15 billion per year. Under Bernie’s plan, households making over $250,000 would no longer be able to save more than 28 cents in taxes from every dollar in tax deductions. This limit would replace more complicated and less effective limits on tax breaks for the rich including the AMT, the personal exemption phase-out and the limit on itemized deductions.

The Responsible Estate Tax.
Revenue raised: $21 billion per year. This provision would tax the estates of the wealthiest 0.3 percent (three-tenths of 1 percent) of Americans who inherit over $3.5 million at progressive rates and close loopholes in the estate tax.

Savings from health tax expenditures.
Revenue raised: $310 billion per year. Several tax breaks that subsidize health care (health-related “tax expenditures”) would become obsolete and disappear under a single-payer health care system, saving $310 billion per year.Most importantly, health care provided by employers is compensation that is not subject to payroll taxes or income taxes under current law. This is a significant tax break that would effectively disappear under this plan because all Americans would receive health care through the new single-payer program instead of employer-based health care.

[JudyM]

136. Thanks for posting this! Good info.

[still_one]

151. That is good, but would someone explain to me how the bill wil be acted upone when the

republicans control both chambers?

[bekkilyn]

157. The point is to keep it active and in the forefront of people's minds.

Even if they can't get it to pass right now this very moment, when elections come around again, voters will better remember that their members of congress were standing *for* something that they want and need vs. just giving up because it's "impossible". It's inspiring for people to see their representatives striving for positive things and not giving in to hopelessness and defeatist attitudes.

And who knows but that some moderate Republicans might decide to listen to their constituents for once and start supporting it too once it grows in popularity even in red districts. They may even do it simply to spite 45 after a certain point.

Just never know.

In any case, I wish we would stop with all the defeatist attitudes (in general, not you personally) and instead take on more forward-thinking views.

Si se puede!