Bernie will win because most Americans worry far more about health care costs than they worry about socialism

[Armstead]

44. Okay for what it's worth....

Here's what I (and others) would like to see. It's similar to what was proposed but scuttled with the ACA. Although nothing in healthcare is truly efficient or simple, it is comparatively straightforward in concept, without a lot of downside.

Open up Medicare to voluntary coverage to anyone who chooses to buy into it, no matter what age, with payments based on affordable percentage of income (sliding scale).

Make it a basic program, that provides decent coverage, not a "cadillac plan."

Totally voluntary. You don't want to have anything to do with "socialized" medicine? Happy with your existing coverage? Fine. Ignore it. You want to mix it with additional private coverage, go ahead.

There are several advantages. It makes access to overage truly universal, and staightforward without all the qualification crapola of the current system.(It also could or could not be combined with Medicaid or some other subsidy for the truly needy.)

It would provide a baseline of affordable care in the market, forcing private insurance to compete.

It could have the potential to actually strengthen Medicare by the same principle that private insurance use -- you have young healthy people paying into the system, which can help to offset the higher costs of older sicker clients.

It could also take the onus off employers for coverage, or make it more affordable for them to provide it too.

Politically? Sure the GOP will raise holy hell, and some conservatives will howl and complain. But if the Democrats got behind it and actively (relentlessly) pushed for it and explained it to the public, it could get done. When people realize the advantages -- access to less expensive coverage -- I'm convinced a majoity of the public, except diehard conservatives and insurance executives -- could be won over.