Biden says he would bring back ObamaCare's individual mandate

[DonViejo]

BY JULIA MANCHESTER - 07/05/19 07:34 AM EDT

Former Vice President Joe Biden said in an interview that aired Friday on CNN that he would bring back ObamaCare's individual mandate if he is elected president.

"Yes, I'd bring back the individual mandate," Biden told CNN's Chris Cuomo on Thursday.

Link to tweet

The mandate, which is a financial penalty in the Affordable Care Act for Americans who don't have health insurance, was the main target of Republicans for years in their attempts to repeal Obama's signature health care law.

The Republican tax bill, signed by President Trump in 2017, eliminated the mandate.

Biden, who is the frontrunner in the 2020 Democratic primary, played an integral role in the construction of the Affordable Care Act as former President Obama's vice president.

more
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/451726-biden-says-he-would-bring-back-obamacares-individual-mandate

[NurseJackie]

1. Good!

[Cicada]

2. California is bringing it back as a state penalty

Without the mandate it can make sense to wait until you get sick and only then buy insurance. That causes the pool of insured to be very sick on average. That forces premiums for insurance to be very high. The mandate is necessary .

[YOHABLO]

3. Why can't Biden just support a comprehensive Med.C for All?

Comprehensive meaning: Cover every expense. Not this 80% BS, where people still have out of pocket expenses, and are forced to pick up a supplemental health insurance.

And let's not forget that Medicare Part B is as much as $135 dollars a month.

What the ACA does, is open up private sector insurance to those with preexisting conditions. Set up with levels of coverage: bronze, silver, gold and platinum. Which means more money for out of pocket quality care.

If you land in the hospital, what you don't want to hear is 'your insurance won't cover that procedure'.

Enough. We need a health care system that is paid for by a progressive health tax..BOOM you are covered. Drs office visit ..your covered, emergency room ..your covered, hospital stay..your covered.

No mandate, no more premiums, no more docs denying an office visit. Other countries are doing this, why can't the richest country in the world?

Greed.

[area51]

4. +1

We need comprehensive Medicare for All.

[AtheistCrusader]

5. This!

[Demsrule86]

6. Because it is a political loser and would take a Senate super majority which we don't have and will

not get this cycle if ever given the truly dismal prospects in the senate. Why run on something that would be unpopular and can't be done easily.

[YOHABLO]

14. According to who, what? How do you know what's a loser and a winner?

[still_one]

8. Because that is his position. You don't carae for that, select a canddiate that meets your criteria

[YOHABLO]

13. Well, it might come down to that, not just for me but for others as well.

The Primaries are still way off, there's time to come around. The burden of healthcare and the catastrophic consequences of climate change are what I'm looking for in my candidate. But I will support who ever the Dem nominee is.

[still_one]

18. I know, that goes without saying as far as I am concerned, voting for whoever the Democratic nomnee

is, 99.9% of us here at DU are right there

[bluewater]

9. +1000

[DrToast]

10. The answer is in his post

It’s also the dirty secret of Medicare For All: Many unions are opposed to it.

[YOHABLO]

15. You have link on that about unions opposing Medicare for All?

[LibFarmer]

7. Shoring up the ACA and adding a public option is the best path

Medicare for All is political suicide.

[Turin_C3PO]

11. If we pass a public option,

I think word would get around that the public option is better than private insurance and eventually the political will would be there for single payer.

Biden understands we have to do it in increments.

[LibFarmer]

12. Actually, some people will still choose private insurnace

even if it costs more. It is good that they will have that option. Not having that option is a political loser and which nearly sank ACA and we lost in the 2010 mid-term elections.

The public option will simply stop gouging because the insurance companies will have to compete and tighten their belts.

Private insurance will never go away - it exists as supplemental or medi-gap coverage now - even for those on medicare.

[YOHABLO]

16. And people will continue to buy crappy Starbucks coffee for $2.50 a pop.

People will also continue to buy cars that use fossil fuels that are choking us into extinction.

[LibFarmer]

17. Where I live, one can't get Starbucks for $2.50 nt