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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsWho wants Medicare For All?
Medicare For All!
— Lorie (@ppattycat2.bsky.social) 2025-07-13T03:12:55.639Z
See.... every age group wants it, by a big majority! 🔥
The 65+group already has it!
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Skittles
(166,087 posts)the entire point is to GET RID OF MEDICARE
MichMan
(15,493 posts)
comradebillyboy
(10,800 posts)and I still pay about $300 a month for a more complete benefit package. MFA advocates seem to ignore the very real costs of that kind of health insurance. They also ignore the very great legislative hurdles to enactment. Obama barely got the ACA across the finish line and MFA is a much harder lift. But good luck to any medical insurance reformers, I hope you succeed.
Silent Type
(10,514 posts)“WASHINGTON, D.C. -- A 57% majority of U.S. adults believe that the federal government should ensure all Americans have healthcare coverage. Yet nearly as many, 53%, prefer that the U.S. healthcare system be based on private insurance rather than run by the government. These findings are in line with recent attitudes about the government’s involvement in the healthcare system, which have been relatively steady since 2015.”
https://news.gallup.com/poll/468401/majority-say-gov-ensure-healthcare.aspx
That was January 2023, maybe it's changed.
So, the question becomes, how many here would oppose universal coverage if private insurers were involved, even realizing that EVERY major improvement in healthcare since 1990s involves private insurers— Part C under Clinton, Part D drugs, ACA/Obamacare, Medicare Advantage, and Medicaid Expansion?
Personally, if that’s what it takes to get everyone insured I’d vote for it as long as subsidies are set properly for poor and there is government oversight.
Even better, a Public Option would be great. If it’s as good as we think, people will gravitate to it quickly squeezing out private insurers. But the key is to get everyone covered; however, that’s accomplished.
rog
(839 posts)In a single-payer system, the government is NOT 'involved in the healthcare system'. The government just makes sure the bills get paid.
My sister is a Canadian citizen. She has raised two children to adulthood, is being treated for leukemia (successfully), and she has never seen a medical bill. I had to explain to her what a co-payment is ... she does not have to deal with that. Her husband just had a serious surgical procedure, and she just spent almost a month in the hospital being treated for a tricky respiratory issue, which has been resolved. Neither will see a single medical bill. Their single payer plan even paid for her husband's parking when he visited the hospital every day.
Their taxes are about on a par with US taxes ... the difference is that the taxes pay for services, AND they don't have to pay for exorbitant private insurance. And that's not to mention that the hospitals don't need expensive staff to negotiate with hundreds of different private insurers.
She has access to the best doctors and specialists, and she nor her family has ever been denied a needed procedure, and the treatments have been timely and effective.
She and her fellow Canadians wouldn't trade their system for anything. It seems VERY difficult to get people to understand this.
SickOfTheOnePct
(7,982 posts)...in what treatments they would pay for and what treatments they wouldn't pay for?
rog
(839 posts)There's a lot of info out there about Canadian Health care ... sounds like a pretty good deal to me. And note that certain dental services are covered ... and if I'm not mistaken, they've added vision coverage (I'll have to check into that one).
My sister has never had a problem accessing health care for herself or her kids. Her daughter now has 2 kids, and no problem there, either.
When her son was a kid, he broke his ankle snowboarding off the roof of their house ... the only medical bill was that they had to cough up $6 to rent the crutches.
https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/canada-health-care-system.html
The publicly funded health care system provides coverage for primary health care services, from diagnosis to recovery. These services include first-contact services provided by a physician or other health providers such as a nurse practitioner.
The health care system also covers medically necessary services provided in hospitals.
The provinces and territories also provide additional coverage to certain population groups, such as:
seniors
children
people who receive social assistance
This additional coverage helps pay for health care services that are not fully covered by the publicly funded health care system. Services include:
home care
vision care
dental care
prescription drugs
ambulance services
People who don't qualify for additional benefits under government plans pay for these services:
on their own or
through their own private health insurance plans
Health care services that are not insured under a provincial or territorial plan include:
cosmetic services
private duty nursing services
testimony by a physician in court
medical certificates for work, school or insurance purposes
preferred hospital accommodation unless prescribed by a physician
rog
(839 posts)It's not a perfect system, but I sure wish I had access to something similar ... and they're working to improve it.
This attempts to discuss the Canadian system from the perspective of an American expat moving to Canada, ie, what can be expected if you're used to American health care. It's not perfect, but you're going to get taken care of, and you won't go bankrupt.
Yeah ... if you need a tummy tuck, or a face lift, or a non-emergency knee replacement, you may have to wait. My sister's husband had to wait some time for his knee replacement, but when it came to a surprise cancer diagnosis, he was in the loop for immediate surgery ... and is now cancer free. And don't forget, we have wait times here, too. I live less than a mile from a major teaching hospital, and sometimes I have to wait over six months for an appointment if it's not a critical issue.
https://brighttax.com/blog/how-healthcare-in-canada-actually-works/
BTW, it looks like vision is not a perk, but dental is, if you make less than $90,000: https://www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/dental/dental-care-plan/coverage.html
rog
(839 posts)... comparing health care in Canada to that in the US.
https://democraticunderground.com/132152462
He makes a very good case, "... Can a country like America afford universal health coverage? My question back would be, how much longer can you afford the status quo?"
He uses cancer care as one example.
SickOfTheOnePct
(7,982 posts)It's up to the provinces and territories to determine which services they consider are medically necessary and will cover.
https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/canada-health-care-system.html
Not a criticism at all, just an acknowledgment that in any healthcare system, including those run by government, someone is going to be deciding what will and won’t be covered.
rog
(839 posts)I don't mind doing this research, primarily because I'm interested myself, but also because I think folks should have access to this information. There is a lot of distorted information going around about Canadian health care. It's not perfect, but as I mentioned, they're constantly working on it. And according to my Canadian sister (she has dual citizenship, as do her kids), she would never trade it for our system. Seriously, she nor her family has never seen a medical bill or been denied services. She is 73, she and her husband are retired. They live in a small rural community in Manitoba province, 200 miles north of North Dakota.
But with all that said, it's not difficult to find this information for yourself ... Canada makes it relatively easy to find answers to questions. They are a civilized country!
First, some history ...
Why is health care different in every Canadian province?
https://www.cma.ca/healthcare-for-real/why-health-care-different-every-canadian-province
Helpful chart that breaks it down: 
Take care.
but I’m not interested in arguing, as I’m not saying that our system is better than Canada’s.
I’m simply saying that people need to understand that any healthcare system is going to have someone or some group of people that are deciding what will or won’t be covered. Too often it seems that people think that if we only went to a universal, government funded system there would be no more claim denials because everything would be paid for.
rog
(839 posts)You are asking questions, I am providing documented answers, as accurately as I can, including anecdotal evidence from a close relative who interacts with the Canadian health care system every day. She is being treated successfully for chronic cancer, her husband has had a tricky and successful surgery for a different form of cancer, as well as a knee replacement. They are both in their 70s, and there has never been an issue getting health care for them or their kids. They simply go to the doctor, they are referred to a specialist if necessary, and they get taken care of. There has never been a problem, there has never been a review of their treatment by any government organization. They get the treatment, the government simply makes sure the bills get paid.
EDITED to add, re: "someone or some group of people that are deciding what will or won’t be covered", the provinces have each decided 'what' is medically necessary (it appears to me that there are minor differences -- there are an awful lot of green check marks on that chart), but the doctors decide 'if' a procedure or treatment is medically necessary. There are no government 'death panels'.
I am not clear why these simple facts are viewed as an argument; the facts are what they are.
Is the issue that the chart I provided did not address your question in a helpful way? I don't know ... I thought it was pretty informative. I did not know any of that stuff. I can't see how providing it can be construed as confrontational.
But one thing does seem clear, that this is not a productive conversation at this point. I hope someone else benefits from the info I've provided, or at least opens a pathway for doing further research.
I will never see this level of health care in what is left of my life ... I hope younger folks fare better.
Take care, all the best ...
.rog.
Silent Type
(10,514 posts)then we’ll never get universal care, single payer, or MFA without giving them what it takes to get it enacted.
There would be no ACA, Medicaid expansion, or Part D without private insurance because Congress wouldn’t have passed it.
Hell, traditional Medicare is administered in each region by subsidiaries of insurance companies. They pay claims, enforce coverage policies, credential providers, audit providers, answer beneficiary questions, etc.
rog
(839 posts)I am 81. I expect that our situation in the US will only get worse. My MAGA brothers see my sister's experience first hand, but they still badmouth the Canadian system. I'll never see single payer, and I expect less and less access to resources as I get older and more infirm.
Fortunately I'm good for now.
But the facts about Canadian health care still stand.
ibegurpard
(17,065 posts)Medicare is a hybrid mess.
Medicaid for All is a better template.
comradebillyboy
(10,800 posts)costs. I have yet to see any MFA proposal that lays out actual costs and benefits. IMHO Bernie's MFA was an aspirational proposal with no actual substance.
What exactly is MFA? Define the coverage and define the cost.
betsuni
(28,109 posts)so it was abandoned. Would've been a good idea to discuss that and how his plan was different and how other plans would be different. Haven't heard any details, just the three word Medicare for All slogan. And people want the choice of buying private insurance.
bsiebs
(859 posts)
applegrove
(126,909 posts)Plus it is bolstered by the federal government.
betsuni
(28,109 posts)Republican votes, public option removed after House passed it -- not enough votes). Hillary ran on ACA with public option and Medicare eligibility at 55, Biden same with Medicare eligibility at 60. Not enough votes. Health care as a right not a privilege is bedrock Democratic issue. Republicans will always block any medical coverage for all. Other countries developed their systems long ago.
Interesting that in Europe a strong social safety net is very important to right-wing anti-immigration populist movement supporters but in the U.S. supporters will literally vote themselves right into the grave with their Republican votes because Republicans want no social safety net at all.
MichMan
(15,493 posts)which is how most all other countries pay for it.
rog
(839 posts)In 1991, Canada implemented a 7 percent national value-added tax (VAT) to replace a tax on sales by manufacturers. The VAT was introduced by the Conservative party, which had concerns about industry competitiveness and the country’s fiscal situation.
Canada addressed distributional concerns by applying a zero rate to certain necessities—including groceries, drugs, and rent—and adding a refundable credit to the income tax. Transfer payments had been indexed for inflation and were highly progressive, further insulating against regressivity.
The Canadian VAT is completely transparent: it is listed separately on receipts and invoices just like sales taxes in the United States.
The Canadian experience also shows that a federal VAT can successfully coexist with either a VAT or a retail sales tax levied by subnational governments.
And the VAT in Canada has not been anything like a “money machine.” The standard VAT rate declined over time to 6 percent in 2006 and 5 percent since 2008. In 2020, VAT revenue comprised 13 percent of total tax revenues for Canada, far below individual income tax revenue (37 percent) and about the same as Social Security contributions (14 percent) and revenues from corporate income taxes and property taxes (12 percent each).
In both revenues and expenditures, the size of the Canadian federal government as a share of the economy has shrunk significantly since introduction of the VAT. General government tax revenue and spending in Canada has actually fallen as a share of the economy since 1991.
Updated January 2024
Skittles
(166,087 posts)IOW, the usual
H2O Man
(77,373 posts)Recommended.
Karasu
(1,640 posts)life no longer matter.
raccoon
(31,952 posts)
uponit7771
(93,093 posts)Silent Type
(10,514 posts)
KentuckyWoman
(7,130 posts)"Coverage" and "access" is not the same thing.
A lot of the discussions are about "coverage". Too many people in the US have "coverage" but still struggle to obtain medical care. There are a lot of barriers to accessing medical care. "Coverage" is a good step but not the only one.
Emile
(35,994 posts)
mvd
(65,703 posts)In order for it to work best, we should strengthen Medicare first - not happening until the Repukes are out of power.
Bettie
(18,580 posts)I was universal health care...not something that the oligarchs will monetize until it is all but useless to most of us.
bucolic_frolic
(51,502 posts)But it's still not all providers. Trying to merge luxury health care with the general public and all providers will be a heavy lift.
in2herbs
(3,839 posts)seniors to sell their assets before nursing home care is paid for. IMO the two are not mutually exclusive.
B.See
(5,903 posts)with both publicly funded healthcare (NHS) and private healthcare. Don't see why we can't manage something similar.
MichMan
(15,493 posts)the cost of prescription drugs in the US (driven by private insurers and complicit lawmakers) is at least three times higher.
https://www.pharmaceutical-technology.com/features/us-most-expensive-drugs-uk-prices/
Nanjeanne
(6,294 posts)Bill introduced by Rep Jayapal you can read the full bills in the links provided including the 135 page Senate bill that apparently Sanders has no details for.
https://pnhp.org/the-medicare-for-all-act-of-2025/]
Passages
(3,261 posts)118th Congress (2023-2024)
BillHide Overview
Sponsor: Sen. Sanders, Bernard [I-VT] (Introduced 05/17/2023)
Committees: Senate - Finance
Latest Action: Senate - 05/17/2023 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. (All Actions)
Tracker: Tip This bill has the status Introduced Here are the steps for Status of Legislation:
https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/senate-bill/1655/cosponsors
OPTIONS TO FINANCE MEDICARE FOR ALL
U.S. Senate (.gov)
https://www.sanders.senate.gov › uploads › optio...
Studies have found that our federal government could save up to $500 billion per year on administrative costs by moving to a Medicare for All, single-payer ...
The details have been available for years.
biocube
(115 posts)isn’t going to dismantle Argentina's universal health care because deep down he knows there's no efficient for-profit health care system in the world.