Sen. Sanders Medicare for All has been released

[cal04]

Leaving no one behind
https://berniesanders.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Medicare-for-All.pdf

It has been the goal of Democrats since Franklin D. Roosevelt to create a universal
health care system guaranteeing health care to all people. Every other major
industrialized nation has done so. It is time for this country to join themand fulfill
the legacy of Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry Truman, Lyndon B. Johnson and other
great Democrats.

The Affordable Care Act was a critically important step towards the goal of universal
health care. Thanks to the ACA, more than 17 million Americans have gained health
insurance. Millions of low-income Americans have coverage through expanded
eligibility for Medicaid that now exists in 31 states. Young adults can stay on their
parents’ health plans until they’re 26. All Americans can benefit from increased
protections against lifetime coverage limits and exclusion from coverage because of
pre-existing conditions. Bernie was on the U.S. Senate committee that helped write
the ACA.

But as we move forward, we must build upon the success of the ACA to achieve the
goal of universal health care. Twenty-nine million Americans today still do not have
health insurance and millions more are underinsured and cannot afford the high
copayments and deductibles charged by private health insurance companies that
put profits before people.

The U.S. spends more on health care per person, and as a percentage of gross
domestic product, than any other advanced nation in the world, including Australia,
Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Japan, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.
But all that money has not made Americans healthier than the rest of the world.
Quite simply, in our high-priced health care system that leaves millions overlooked,
we spend more yet end up with less.


rest at link
and here
https://twitter.com/EvanMcSan

[Fawke Em]

1. So the average household would pay for healthcare all year

for what they pay to private insurance for less that two months. The average plan is between $275 and $350 a month.

Even at the cheapest, the average family would save $2,554 a year.

[tk2kewl]

4. And you no longer need to be shackled to your job

You're boss is a dick... So what, look for a job without worrying if someone in you're family gets sick

Always wanted to be your own boss but worry about how you're going to make sure you kid can see a doctor... Not anymore

[Deny and Shred]

32. Talk about entrepreneurial spirit

Freeing average indiviuals from the shackles of 'benefits' should have very positive results down the line as more and more feel able to pursue those ideas they previously couldn't due to the restrictions imposed by the necessity of the 'day job'.

[Marty McGraw]

66. as well as feeling

More free to address more preventative care treatment which is also a big cost reduction in the long run. Primary reason why I have not been able to go is because my problems are not severe enough to skimp away from the more pressing need to help family members with mere survival needs.

[greiner3]

57. This alone might be the most difficult to pass

As allowing worker mobility is a man major way companies keep wages low but worker dissatisfaction keeps productivity low

[thesquanderer]

23. Hard to say... what's the average family, and average plan? Before or after subsidy?

Last edited Mon Jan 18, 2016, 02:02 PM - Edit history (1)

"Average" is hard to apply here. It's not like, say, looking at the average cost of a car, where in theory, anyone can buy any car they want, and the same car costs the same no matter who buys it. With health plans, depending on your income and your age, the same plan can be under $50 a month or perhaps ten times that.

There's a lot of good info at: http://obamacarefacts.com/costof-obamacare/

It looks like Bernie's plan is not age-based. So a comparison for a younger person would be different than that of an older person. It's really hard to make any meaningful global comparisons. A self-employed person in their 20s or 30s will probably have to pay a lot more than s/he has to pay today. I'm assuming that, like the payroll tax, a self-employed person basically has to pay both the employee and employer percentages his or herself. So a self-employed person making $50k may have to pay $4200 a year, regardless of whether they're 30 or 60. Or $8400 if they make $100l And if that person is lucky enough to make $200k a year? The same coverage could be $16,800 a year. It's a very different model.

My point is really just that some people will come out ahead, and others behind. That's to be expected of any major change.

Also, though, you don't want to overlook that today's coverage, even though it may be cheaper in many cases, may be worse in terms of dedictibles and copays. This again complicates the comparison, as a given plan may or may not end up being cheaper, depending on whether or not you actually have to see a doctor!

[Gregorian]

2. I don't see anything I can't live with. It seems really fair.

[tk2kewl]

3. The last bullet is a policy looooong overdue

[Fast Walker 52]

13. A-freaking-men

[TexasBushwhacker]

19. I agree. And they'd better not bitch about it either

Lest we make them pay SS and Medicare tax on capital gains income too, which really they should.

[tk2kewl]

20. Let them bitch as much as they want... And let them have Hillary do their bitching too...

It might wake some people up to the real reasons why we can't have nice things

[Fawke Em]

26. Which reminds me

[tk2kewl]

31. not sure if i should laugh or cry

but i laughed

[TexasBushwhacker]

33. Yeah, my tiny violin will be playing

for the folks making $10Million a year that have to live on $5Million.

[wordpix]

58. But gawd forbid we should raise taxes on the wealthy

Repukes regularly scare their poor uneducated minions with the raising taxes meme. They could not care less about raising them on the backs of the poor, they just want to continue their tax havens and deductions and "inversions " ("relocating "overseas to avoid paying their share). glad Bernie is addressing it. Where's Hilary on this subject? Behind, as usual and business as usual.

[libdem4life]

5. So where is the unmitigated financial disaster projected? I love it...Medicare for all, even though

I've already got mine, being of that "certain age".

[tk2kewl]

9. if you're really rich and earn most of your money through capital gains

that last bullet might put a crimp in you style

[Fast Walker 52]

14. awww, well...

they need to feel the Bern.

[hifiguy]

24. Aww, boo-boo kitty.

[awake]

6. Smart leaving to the last min before the Debate

Should be enough time for the moderators to review while distracting Hillary as her crew scramble to respond.

[TIME TO PANIC]

7. K & R !

this should hush up a few.

[Uncle Joe]

8. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, cal04.

[silvershadow]

10. Bump. Significant. nt

[thesquanderer]

11. So much for the "top tax rate of 90%" malarky

Last edited Sun Jan 17, 2016, 09:43 PM - Edit history (1)

...though it is higher than the 52% figure.... if someone is self-employed, there's also what looks like 8.4% in a health care premium, and, if he lifts the cap on the payroll tax, perhaps another 12.4% there (and maybe another 2.9% if the new health premium figure is in addition to rather than a replacement for the existing medicare portion of the payroll tax).

(And then there's state income tax...)

[retrowire]

12. knr!

That was a great read! I can get behind that! WOOOOO!

[Skwmom]

15. Andrea Mitchell (aka Mrs. Greenspan) is going to have a cow. She gets a tax raise! n/t

[TexasBushwhacker]

16. Companies should be on board with this too

Any company that currently provides health insurance will probably come out ahead, especially small companies. I work for one. I pay the bills and do the payroll. Our employees are all over forty and some, like me, are pushing 60. We currently pay about $2800 for 5 people for a silver plan with a $6000 deductible. We would pay about $1600 a month with this plan and no deductibles or copays. What's not to love?

I'm sure that companies like Walmart and McDonald's that have huge numbers of employees who are covered by Medicaid or can't afford to pay their half of the premiums won't like it, but tough shit.

[Fawke Em]

36. Please post this in GD-P

And I'm sure that 2,800 is cheap because of the high deductible.

[TexasBushwhacker]

45. Oh yeah. A gold plan would cost us over $4K n/t

[passiveporcupine]

50. I would love to see the bite taken out of Walmart

His plan does not address part time work...but I'm assuming it is the same as full time. Any worker will qualify.

This might change employers who deliberately cut workers hours so they are not "full time", meaning employees might get more hours on top of health care. Woot!

[TexasBushwhacker]

55. The way I read it everyone is covered n/t

[IronLionZion]

65. Single-payer really is the pro-business pro-jobs plan

since it would be cheaper than paying health insurance for employees and their families.

[SammyWinstonJack]

17. Medicare part E...Everyone in, no one out.

[HerbChestnut]

18. This is an outstanding plan.

Any progressive should be in support of this.

[Cassiopeia]

29. I'm sure they are.

It will be the conservative status quo Dems that will be against it. 99.9% of those Dems will never even make it 250k/year tax bracket, but they'll be against it none the less because they think they will.

[wilsonbooks]

21. Bernie won the debate before it started.

Political genius.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

22. The best thing since 'sliced bread'

fantastic!

[passiveporcupine]

25. I don't see how he is addressing how those of us who are not working are covered

Right now on SS, I'm paying $1278 a year just for premiums and deductible for doctor care for one year under Medicare. If I had Part D, that would be even higher (how much is that? $25 or $30 a year?). And this doesn't count deductible for hospitalization, which I think is $300, but can be up to $1200 in one year (If I'm remembering the amount correctly).

Did he say there is no deductible with his plan, or is that not covered yet? If there are, how big will they be? And co-pays?

Are unemployed people going to pay the full 8.8% tax because they don't have an employer kicking in the 6.6%? If not, even if they just leave us with Medicare as it is now (he doesn't say that) we'd still be paying more for less, than everyone else on the single payer plan.

I'd like his plan to address the disabled, retired, and unemployed. How will this all be handled?

It does say that vison care and oral care is included. Does that mean vision and oral like Medicare covers now (no glasses and no regular dental work...just treatment for health issues like maybe gum diseases, etc.)...I'd like to know if full hearing, vision and dental is part of his plan.

[Autumn Colors]

35. I could be misunderstanding what I read, but

If not, it looks like there will be no more Medicare with it's Part A, B, C, etc. Everyone will be in one plan ... no deductibles, etc.

The estimated part about what a worker pays and what the employer pays is just talking about the new tax rate on earnings. You aren't working and have no income, I'm assuming you pay nothing. The rate explanation actually says that anyone earning under approx. $28,000 per year pays NOTHING.

From what that booklet says, it looks like everyone is included in this: unemployed, retired, disabled, etc.

Like I said, I could be misunderstanding what I read, but that's what it looks like to me.

[Fawke Em]

37. That's the way I read it, as well.

[passiveporcupine]

39. I doubt it will be free for retired people, unless they are really poor

I don't think enough details have been released. Where did you see the "no deductibles"? That sounds too good to be true. But then Medicare has not been all that great for a lot of disabled and retired people on low incomes, so I was hoping for some improvements.

[Autumn Colors]

46. This isn't like heath insurance is now

It's a national single-payer program ... you pay nothing at the doctors. You just show your heath program ID card and be seen. The tax is *it*.

Where did I read that? At this link:
https://berniesanders.com/issues/medicare-for-all/

What It Means for Patients

As a patient, all you need to do is go to the doctor and show your insurance card. Bernie’s plan means no more copays, no more deductibles and no more fighting with insurance companies when they fail to pay for charges.

EDIT: Please take the time and go to the link and read the entire proposal - which tells what it includes and exactly how it will be paid for.

[passiveporcupine]

48. I did go read the site and have some questions/comments based on what I found

and will have access to services that may have been out of reach, like dental care

This sounds like full dental care (maybe not cosmetic) may be covered? That would be awesome!

As a patient, all you need to do is go to the doctor and show your insurance card. Bernie’s plan means no more copays, no more deductibles and no more fighting with insurance companies when they fail to pay for charges

Again, awesome

A 2.2 percent income - based premium paid by household

I wonder if this is how unemployed (retired) people would be covered. If they have enough income, whether it is retirement funds or social security, that they have to pay taxes on it, after personal exemptions, they would have to pay 2.2% if they make over the level determined to be free (something slightly over 100% poverty level). For a single person it would be somewhere over $1170, and for a family of four it would be $28,800 (currently $24,250 is 100% fed poverty level for a family of four). Now remember this is only on taxable wages after exemptions are claimed, so a person's take home is actually a lot higher than that. If I'm understanding this correctly, but it's not completely clear.

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

This needs to be understood by working people. You will pay a 2.2% household tax on your income (I'm assuming if both parents work, only one has to pay it, since it's based on household)...but the 6.6% paid for by your employer will be taxable income for you. You won't pay the full 6.6%, but will you will have to include that as income before determining your taxable income. It will be much more reasonable than what you pay now, so I don't think I would complain about it.

However, does this mean that retired people end up paying less than working people because they don't have that 6.6% amount to include as income before paying taxes?

And are all employers required to pay this tax, or only employers of a certain number of employees or higher?

Questions aside, it's looking like a really great plan if he can get it passed. I'm pretty sure he can get the grassroots support to help him on this. I'd personally fly to Washington to protest congress if they refused to work with him (If I could...unfortunately I can't do that).

[Autumn Colors]

56. re Dental

I'm currently on Medicaid and in Connecticut, that includes dental and I've been using that. What I've encountered so far is that emergency care is covered (I had a broken tooth that needed a large filling), one yearly visit with cleaning and x-rays, and as far as crowns go, the rule is that they'll only cover one crown on the SAME TOOTH per year. I'm so thankful for this ... my crown came off a couple nights ago and my dentist saw me within 24 hours -- it cost me nothing. I've paid not one cent for dental work in the past two years.

The best part is that I found a GREAT dentist among those who accept Medicaid here in CT. She has worked in public service healthcare (first as a Registered Nurse and then went back to school to become a dentist). Unlike most dentists I've had in the past who tried to push every kind of treatment possible on me, she tells me what's absolutely needed and what might need to be done in the future, but no pushiness at all. Even if my income situation improves and I no longer have Medicaid, I'll continue to go to this dentist for that reason alone.

The coverage for dental under CT's Medicaid is better than I ever had with private dental insurance in the past!

[passiveporcupine]

63. This is wonderful

I hope they cover it at least this well. Unfortunately for some of us, that is still not enough because we've been without dental care far too long. I have one space where a molar was pulled and five more broken teeth that at least four of will need to be replaced with implants because they can't even be crowned any more (damage too low below gum line, or cracked roots that are abscessed, because I haven't been able to afford dental care for so long.

It's hard to eat without molars and I'm having to change to soft foods already because crunchy foods hurt my gums too much...too much gum exposed to chewing. Not to mention the raw cuts inside my cheeks from the ragged edges of broken teeth constantly cutting my tongue and cheeks. I need serious dental work now, not one tooth a year. But even that would be better than what I've got going on now. And they probably won't cover implants...which means it's dentures or no teeth, which I already know I won't do. I have no teeth left in the back to support bridges.

[Autumn Colors]

71. I hope so

I'm so sorry you've had to let this go. I can sympathize. I was without dental insurance (and medical insurance) for a while - but thankfully, I took advantage of dental insurance before that while I had it and took care of some long overdue work that needed to be done. I was lucky not to have had any dental emergencies during the time where I had no coverage, no money to pay on my own, and ACA hadn't passed yet.

I wonder if they would cover the cost of one or two implants if they could serve to anchor a bridge?

Continuing to hope we can finally get a single-payer system here.

[passiveporcupine]

72. Thanks...but I'm more concerned that we get single payer

for everyone, so people who have life threatening disease and needs can get the help they need. My teeth are important to me, but they are not going to kill me, and I've been living with this mess ongoing for 18 years now. It can wait.

[Liberty Belle]

41. and what about self-employed freelancers whose income stream varies widely?

Also I hope he will include chiropractic and some other well-established alternative therapies that are not covered by Obamacare.

[Autumn Colors]

47. It's a percentage of your income - period

If you're self-employed, then you would pay the rate listed as paid by the employee + the rate listed as paid by the employer ... but you'd no longer have any monthly insurance premiums, no co-pays, and no deductibles. That tax on your income (whatever the amount and however it varies) is *it*.

All of the detailed info can be found here:

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

[passiveporcupine]

49. Self employed. That's a good question

Do you have to pay the full 8.8%? He does not address it, but I suspect so.

[wordpix]

59. Good questions but as for Medicare part D

I paid my mom's and that was around $40/month 2013.

[Cassiopeia]

27. Oh, those poor poor 1%ers.

How will they ever survive.

[Robbins]

28. This was brillent move by bernie

bernie tonight has plan he can point to when Clinton goes on attack

this ir progressive plan.and higher income you make higher tax rate you will pay.

Clinton attacking this will come off like republican.

this is kind of health care reform dems have wanted.

[WHEN CRABS ROAR]

30. As I see it the main enemy of this plan

is the corporations and people profiting off that 6 trillion that would no longer be spent over 10 years.

We're in for a hell of a fight.

[passiveporcupine]

51. This is why he needs this to be a grass roots movement that doesn't quit

When he is elected President. We all have a job to do here.

[DallasNE]

34. Wrong Selling Points

This will not get to first base being presented in this manner. Sanders needs to net this out in order for it to go anywhere.

Not a word about the huge savings because people will no longer have a deduction for health insurance coming from their paycheck. He needs about 4 examples showing the net effect of his proposal

1. A single mother with 2 minor children earning $10 an hour with no health insurance.
2. A family of 4 earning $28,000 a year with coverage through ACA in a State like Arkansas.
3. A divorced father with 2 minor children and he is responsible for their health insurance through his work, earning $55,000 a year.
4. A family of 4 earning $85,000 a year with health insurance through the employer.

If the Sanders plan does what I think it does then only example 4 would see a net increase. Sanders can only sell his plan by giving specific examples, such as the above. This is not a good way to roll it out.

[Fawke Em]

38. I'm guessing he spells that out in the debate tonight and will be rolling

this out with ad buys, too.

This is just the hard figures and not the finesse.

[Liberty Belle]

40. I hope you'll email those ideas to his campaign ASAP.

[passiveporcupine]

52. Even number four won't see an increase,

Unless their employer is paying 100% for their health insurance now. I don't know if any are. I do know that over the last 20-30 years or more employers have been passing more and more of the cost of health care onto the employee, and unless they gave them platinum plans, they still had co-pays and deductibles to meet.

[DallasNE]

53. Yes, I See That Now

Here is an independent analysis that I found to be very useful. Too bad it doesn't do an analysis on the impact on Mitt Romney's net change.

https://berniesanders.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/friedman-memo-1.pdf

[passiveporcupine]

54. What does this mean?

New public spending including assumption of Medicare Part B premiums now paid by seniors and the disabled $13,773.

Is this saying seniors and disabled will still have to pay these premiums (which are far higher for many of them than the new plan for employed people).

[DallasNE]

68. I Read That To Mean

Last edited Mon Jan 18, 2016, 06:39 PM - Edit history (1)

That seniors on Medicare like myself will no longer have to pay the $107 a month for Part B (or whatever the exact amount is). Also, the current co-pays will go away. And, if you currently pay for a supplemental insurance plan to cover what Medicare doesn't pay, that goes away too. It hits the top .02% hard on tax increases.

[passiveporcupine]

69. I hope you are right.

It almost reads to me that they are assuming that existing Medicare premiums are built into the program...like we still pay them. And yes, it is too expensive for low income people compared to Bernie's new plan.

I don't know what they meant by "assumption".

[wordpix]

60. Since Obama care, employers have been hiring people part-time

So employers don't have to cover health insurance at all. That's the trend

[Liberty Belle]

42. More here on how much familes and employers will save:

The typical middle class family would save over $5,000 under this plan.

Last year, the average working family paid $4,955 in premiums and $1,318 in
deductibles to private health insurance companies. Under this plan, a family of four
earning $50,000 would pay just $466 per year to the single -payer program,
amounting to a savings of over $5,800 for that family each year.

Businesses would save over $9,400 a year in health care costs for the average
employee. The average annual cost to the employer for a worker with a family who makes
$50,000 a year would go from $12,591 to just $3,100.

[stillwaiting]

43. Thank you Bernie Sanders. nt

[raouldukelives]

44. K&R nt

[Indepatriot]

61. No wonder Hillary's lying like a rug about this...

The Clinton's and their 0.01% pals will take a big hit....

[mrmpa]

62. What I would like to see answered is.........

what happens to all the money that has been paid into medicare all ready. I've been paying into medicare for 43 years, since I was 16. I would like to see that money paid into it put into the fund, or the money I have paid into it be allocated to me to be used for my individual payments.

I want to have one payer system, it's just this money that's been paid into medicare, I would like addressed.

[passiveporcupine]

64. What you pay now into medicare is no different than what you would be paying

into single payer. You still have to pay it, you just get the services sooner, and more of them for less. Remember, Medicare is not free even after you retire. We pay more now after retirement than we would in the future under Bernie's plan.

[mrmpa]

70. I understand that. My question is .........

all the money I have paid into it, where is that going? Say I paid a $1000 a year for 43 years (I know it's not the true amount) just an example. Where is that $43000 going? Can I be reimbursed a percentage of that, which would allow me to pay for whatever my payment for insurance will be?

[passiveporcupine]

73. That money is paying for other people who are getting medicare now

When you retire, your Medicare would be paid by younger people still working. It is like insurance. If you die before you need it, you don't get your money back, neither do your heirs. But because Medicare is designed to cover a lot more than what you put in (like insurance), if you don't use it, you don't get your money back. It's the pool that pays the costs for everyone. Your money goes into a pool, not your private account.

[Still In Wisconsin]

67. The empty pantsuit says it can't be done...

so stop bringing it up and vote Shillary!