Conservative Democrat Senator Joe Manchin Open to Single-Payer Health-Care System

[Donkees]

By Sahil Kapur
September 12, 2017, 3:06 PM EDT

The Senate’s most conservative Democrat said Tuesday Congress should consider adopting a single-payer health-care system, a sign of how fast politics are shifting on what was once seen as a fringe issue on the left.

"It should be explored," said West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin, who faces re-election next year in a state President Donald Trump carried by 42 points. "I want to know what happens in all the countries that have it -- how well it works or the challenges they have."

Manchin, who was considered by Trump for a cabinet post, said he hopes the legislation will be considered by a congressional committee. He added that he’s not ready to sign onto the Medicare-for-all proposed by Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, runner-up for the 2016 Democratic presidential nomination.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-09-12/conservative-democrat-open-to-single-payer-health-care-system

[leftstreet]

1. Why doesn't he do some research?

"It should be explored," said West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin, who faces re-election next year in a state President Donald Trump carried by 42 points. "I want to know what happens in all the countries that have it -- how well it works or the challenges they have."

Don't you have staff for that?

[Autumn]

7. If only there were a way of finding out how these other countries have healthcare.

[KPN]

2. Common sense.

Some call it idealistic or worse, unrealistic. I think we can't, I think we can't, choo-ooo- chooo!

[jalan48]

3. So his constituents are against this?

[Staph]

4. No, we are not against this.

But it needs to be carefully researched and planned, by a group larger than the staff of one senator from a small state.

Healthcare is a big deal here in West Virginia, not just cost but accessibility. In my mother's birthplace, the nearest hospital is a 50-mile drive over five mountains, a full hour's drive. But for a full trauma center/major hospital, it's 125 miles and about 2.5 hours drive. And that's in the touristy section of the state, not down in the less accessible coal mining region of the south.

[OnDoutside]

5. They're simple people.

[JI7]

6. No. They are against non white christians getting anything

[LexVegas]

8. Democratic. nt