Does Bernie Sanders Support Obamacare? Yes, But He Wants To Go One Step Further

[portlander23]

Does Bernie Sanders Support Obamacare? Yes, But He Wants To Go One Step Further
SETH MILLSTEIN
Bustle

The short answer is yes, but it’s a bit more complicated than that. As a socialist, Sanders supports a version of health care reform that’s considerably more liberal than the Affordable Care Act: single-payer health care, also known as “Medicare for all.” Single-payer is a system wherein the government pays for everybody’s heath care coverage, and private insurance either disappears completely or becomes merely an additional option. It’s the health care system currently used in Great Britain, Canada, and elsewhere.

When Congress was debating the health care reform bill in 2009, Sanders proposed an amendment that would have created a single-payer system. It was never voted on, though; Sanders withdrew the 767-page amendment after another senator, conservative Republican Tom Coburn, used a procedural move to force Sanders to read the entire thing out loud before it came up for a vote. But this was all theater. In actuality, Sanders' amendment was much too liberal to gain the support of even his Democratic colleagues.

Ultimately, Sanders wants the government to pay for everyone’s health care, while the Affordable Care Act pays for some people’s health care. To Sanders, the law doesn’t go nearly far enough, but it’s also better than the status quo that existed beforehand.

Just about every elected Democrat supports Obamacare, but most of them are basically happy with it as is. What sets Sanders apart from the pack is that he sees the Affordable Care Act not as a finished product, but as the first step on the road to a much more drastic overhaul of America’s health care system.

The Affordable Care Act was passed with only a single republican in the House, and none in the Senate. The compromises in this bill were between liberal Democrats and third way Democrats and the insurance industry. We didn't get a public option because Democrats didn't want it.

It's time to look past the ACA. You need to stand for something.

[think]

1. It's unfortunate Rep. John Conyers was denied the right to have a discussion of Single payer

during the ACA deliberations.

A Single Payer option should have at least been allowed to be discussed. That would have been much more honest and transparent than just shutting the door on any mention of it.

Obama to Single Payer Advocates: Drop Dead

Corporate Crime Reporter - March 3, 2009

President Obama’s White House made crystal clear this week: a Canadian-style, Medicare-for-all, single payer health insurance system is off the table.

Obama doesn’t even want to discuss it.

Take the case of Congressman John Conyers (D-Michigan).

Conyers is the leading advocate for single payer health insurance in Congress.

Last week, Conyers attended a Congressional Black Caucus meeting with President Obama at the White House.

During the meeting, Congressman Conyers, sponsor of the single payer bill in the House (HR 676), asked President Obama for an invite to the President’s Marchy 5 health care summit at the White House.

Conyers said he would bring along with him two doctors — Dr. Marcia Angell and Dr. Quentin Young — to represent the majority of physicians in the United States who favor single payer.

Obama would have none of it.

http://www.pnhp.org/news/2009/march/obama_to_single_paye.php

[hill2016]

2. did Sanders

support it in Vermont?

[think]

3. Sanders was not a member of the Vermont state govt. Do you support single payer?

[hill2016]

4. have you not heard of using public influence?

in your own link, you have physicians trying to influence public policy. Are they members of the government?

Here
---->>>>> http://www.pnhp.org/vermont/sign.php

So what's Sanders excuse for not trying?

Either
(a) He doesn't care about Vermont implementing single payer, or
(b) He doesn't have any influence in Vermont

Which is it?

[think]

5. Supported it but the governor gave up after running on it. Is that his fault? Do you support it?

Yes or no?

[hill2016]

6. ok

guess his influence in Vermont wasn't strong enough then.

Depends what it's going to cost me. Any idea?

[think]

7. It will most likely be less than insurance co's charge when deductibles and copays are included

But obviously it will vary for each individual and where they are currently.

If you don't think it is working well for Canada and many other countries then you probably won't like it here. But anyone who looks at the results elsewhere would be hard pressed to say the American system is better.

Colorado is going to to vote on single payer next year. It will be interesting to see how it does there.

As for his influence in Vermont it was an important start. I hope America joins the rest of the modern world in guaranteeing health care as a basic human right.