poll - 'Medicare For All'

[left-of-center2012]

Are you willing to give up your private health insurance in exchange for a ‘Medicare For All’ plan
crafted by the government which would eliminate private insurance companies?

54 votes, 2 passes | Time left: Unlimited
	Yes
	38 (70%)
	No
	15 (28%)
	Other (please explain)
	1 (2%)
	2 DU members did not wish to select any of the options provided.
Show usernames Disclaimer: This is an Internet poll

[marybourg]

1. Yes. My insurance

already is Medicare. I would like tha Medicare for All model which includes dental and vision care with no copays.

[aidbo]

2. I find it humorous that there might be people out there that 'love' their private insurance.

[BlueIdaho]

14. Really?

I was one of those folks. I taught at a University. Every medical, dental, optical service provider I visited commented on how great our coverage was. It, by all accounts, was the best health coverage in our county. It was great - even better after Obamacare. I understand that is also the case for many union members who fought hard, not only for wages, but for great medical coverage as well. While you find it funny - I found it to be better than Medicare.

[drray23]

26. Really ?

Mine is top notch. Zero deductible, with dental and vision included.
That's how we attract and keep talented people.
I also have 6 weeks paid vacation, sick leave that accumulates and does not reset over time.
I would not give that up for something that is not guaranteed to work any better. I find the idea of a public option much better.

[OhZone]

39. Do you have any openings?

[brooklynite]

36. I've always been happy with my insurance options.

I've never had a conflict with them about paying bills.

Would I consider an early buy-in to Medicare (I'm 60)? Maybe, but I understand the value of having the choice.

[Recursion]

38. Really? You're describing a majority of the US population

About 60% of Americans get their insurance through their employer, and nearly all of them report they like it and want to keep it.

[LincolnRossiter]

41. Honest question, because I'm not all that well read on the issue and haven't seen credible

peer-reviewed studies on the effects of a public option vs. medicare for all. Would allowing people to choose private insurance (or to supplement their medicare with additional insurance) really hurt the common healthcare market that much? I lived in Germany for a little over three years and the blended system (universal coverage with an option to supplement with private care). I was hospitalized and operated on after a serious injury to my leg, and the care was top notch. It was much more "no-frills," but the Docs and nurses took care of me. Apparently our government (I was a naval officer) was supposed to spring for more posh amenities (television in room, different menu, etc) but they didn't for whatever reason. I still had no complaints.

And here's the thing. Healthcare in Germany costs, per capita, about 60% of what ours does. So I don't see why a public option alongside private options is such a monstrous thing for the progressive wing of the party. Everyone is still taken care of.

[0rganism]

42. my private insurance is pretty darn good, but i support Medicare-for-All solutions

i'm not sure it's at the level of "love", but i really appreciate my insurance, it's helped me out a lot since prices for the procedures and medicines i need/have needed over the years are pretty damned unaffordable -- ex. a $20000 brain MRI would have wrecked me hard if i didn't have insurance, same with the $1000/month medicine. i'd be dead, or well on my way there, without the insurance.

even so, i recognize that it only covers me and my family, and there are people with the same diseases i have who aren't getting the treatments they require to prevent disease development and related complications. we need to push forward to full coverage for everyone. somehow.

[mitch96]

51. "people out there 'love' their private insurance."

When I was working I had excellent employer provided insurance.. Lots better than Medicare that I pay MORE for...
m

[Hoyt]

3. Since I have to explain -- What I'm not willing to do is increase the risk of losing ACA, election

election of a Democrat to the Presidency and a House majority, chance to vastly improve ACA and add a Public Option, etc., in the hopes of getting M4A with no coinsurance/deductibles and coverage of dental, hearing aids, vision, etc.

When my Primary comes in March, I will likely vote for the candidate who appears most electable in the General Election. Unless something changes, I suspect that will be a candidate supporting shoring up ACA to cover everyone and a Public Option. If the M4A candidate is most electable, great. I have to see that first, though.

[wyldwolf]

5. yep. My employer-based insurance is more stable than the ACA

The ACA has, barely, survived a SCOTUS decision. It came one vote short of being repealed (thank you John McCain.) It will be in front of the SCOTUS again. One wave election in the GOP's favor could wipe out any health care plan the Dems put in place.

Yes, I could lose my job but I've been there for a decade and will likely retire there.

I don't begrudge anyone a public option, though. Like we've heard several time today, social security didn't take the place of pensions when it was passed. MFA need not replace private insurance. I'd love to see the two compete and private insurance companies have to reform to survive.

[Thekaspervote]

27. This.. the gop would luv the Dems to run m4a. If you disagree, show me a race where raising taxes

Was a winning issue

[Autumn]

4. Yes in a heartbeat. I like the one that will offer dental, eye and hearing aids.

[comradebillyboy]

22. Except one exists now and we don't know what will get

through congress.

[Autumn]

45. If we don't try we will never know. nt

[JudyM]

44. That would be great.

Seniors avoid going to the dentist or getting hearing aids because of the cost. These delays can significantly impact their cognitive health as well.

[DownriverDem]

6. Details

How will it be paid? Part A? Part B? Supplemental Plans? It seems that no one has any details or knowledge of how the current Medicare works. It's not free.

[TexasBushwhacker]

7. I've had Medicare since 2013 because of disability

I've recently returned to full time work (my 3rd try) and I'm hoping this time it lasts. Even so, I plan on keeping Medicare and paying for it. It just makes no sense to me that you have to change insurance every time you change jobs. Most of us don't get to work for one employer for 30 to 40 years like previous generations. What if your employer chooses a crappy insurance plan?

[GulfCoast66]

8. The plan where everything is FREE?!?

Sure. Who wouldn’t.

But since I live in the real world and know nothing is free, not willing to jettison the ACA just when it got popular.

Since no one can tell me who makes the cost of the $250,000,000 my company alone pays for the excellent healthcare over 50,000 employees get, I not biting. And the healthcare is much better because of the ACA! Not to mention the cost carried by the employers of 60,000,000 other Americans.

We can use the ACA to achieve a universal healthcare system like France has. The best healthcare in the world. And most assuredly nothing like Medicare for all.

[dflprincess]

11. How fortunate for you that your employer provides good health insurance.

Mine does too. I know a lot of people whose employers don't offer a good plan.

But insurance does not guarantee access to healthcare. More & more people are getting stuck with plans that have deductibles of up to $6,000 so they still can't afford to see a doctor. And we remain the only country where medical bills drive people to bankruptcy.

The biggest flaw of the ACA is that one of its aims was to protect private insurers.

BTW, no one has said MFA would be free. We would all be paying taxes for it. But, with everyone in the same pool, we'd be paying less than what insurance costs most Americans now (factoring in out of pockets as well as premiums) and people would actually be able to access care.

[GulfCoast66]

19. Sorry, not buying it.

What companies don’t comply with the ACA with out of pocket caps? Yeah, high earning business owners got hit hard.

The ACA set pretty stringent maximums.

My company offers several plans. Some require weekly payment that can be several hundred dollars a month if you have multiple kids and a spouse on the coverage. I choose one with a high deductible with an excellent attached tax free saving plan because I don’t have kids. My wife the same.

But that aside. You say we would pay more taxes. And yeah, that’s true. But how much? My company pays me for my labor a health insurance plan worth over 5K a year. If I had to pay that amount, while it would hurt, I could.

But most of the employees getting that same 5k, and actually more since the union plans cost the company more than the management plan, make $15-$18 dollars an hour. Where is that money coming from?

France faced this same quandary. And decided to keep employers in the game. Only you can’t work someone 28 hours a week to avoid healthcare coverage. You hire them, you pay the nonprofit, highly regulated insurance company for their coverage. The government makes the payments for those that can’t work. And the rich self employed? They pay it themselves. And it the best healthcare system in the world. The ACA could get us to a similar system. Medicare for all would not even win the House Democratic Caucus!

Those of us opposed to Medicare for all are not against universal healthcare. We just see it as the road to more republican victories.

[dflprincess]

20. The maximum out pockets allowed by the ACA for 2019

Are $7,900 for an individual, $15,800 for a family. These are up from $7,350 & $14,700 in 2018.

This is neither affordable nor sustainable.

[GulfCoast66]

23. Agreed. But none of the people covered by the ACA

Are on company healthcare plans. Right?

They are 2 different things.

Listen, I don’t like our current system. But am looking for something that can actually happen. No way in hell you are convincing the 50k plus, mainly union members employees at my company to give up what they have for some undefined, unfunded idea.

In the world I live in perfect is the enemy of good. Even if most people getting healthcare from their employer have a bad deal, which I disagree with, they think they do.

You really want to try and elect a president whose first job on the campaign trail is convincing 60,000,000 Americans that the healthcare plan they like actually sucks? Because most Americans with company provided healthcare like it. Your opinion, Warren or Sanders’ opinion does not matter at all. Most like their plans.

That what proponents of Medicare for all are suggesting. No getting around it. Telling Americans with healthcare they like that it really sucks.

We can use the now popular ACA to get where we all want to be. Actually, it is the only achievable way.

All democrats want the same thing, affordable universal healthcare. Your way is a dead end street that will elect more republicans. In my opinion, of course. I truly respect you hopes and goals.

[dflprincess]

49. The ACA is not a program

It is a law that mandates certain levels of coverage but does not guarantee access to care. Even those who are buying individual insurance from exchanges may find all they can afford is plans with outrageous out of pockets. And there are employers who only offer crap like this

[GulfCoast66]

50. Generally agree about the ACA. But it's here, it popular and it's a start...

Many European nations did not just pass one law to get the healthcare they enjoy today. If was sometimes in incremental steps and that is with parliamentary systems where the party in control is in control. We should use the ACA to continually add more people to insurance roles which will mean different was to supplement those with limited income. It won’t be quick. Am I happy about that? Of course not. But no political party can ignore the reality of the situation they face.

And I often read on DU that company based health insurance is crap. The problem you have is most of the 60,000,000 voters who have health insurance like it. Trying to convince them they are wrong and we have something better seems, to me at least, political suicide.

I have an honest question. Do you truly think we can convince all those voters that the healthcare plan they like really sucks and they should trust us for something better!

If so, we have an honest disagreement.

And honorable people can disagree.

Have a nice evening.

[dflprincess]

52. You have a nice evening too!

[DeminPennswoods]

17. The cost of your health insurance is the raise

and/or the pension you're not getting or not going to get.

[GulfCoast66]

18. Oh I'm calling BS! You think the day my employer

Or any employer is told they don’t have to provide healthcare that extra 5k or more is going in my paycheck?

I like my company. A lot. But am not that delusional. Unless the government takes it from them I’m not getting it.

[DeminPennswoods]

32. Since you seem determined to love your employer provided

health insurance, do you know what Medicare actually covers as compared to your employer plan?

Do you know the origin of employer-provided benefits like yours? It came about because of the wage freeze during WWII. Companies couldn't give raises, so they gave benefits instead. Unfortunately, given the global economy and the way jobs can flow fairly freely from one place to another, this is not a sustainable business model. Just ask the retirees from the mills what happened to their pensions and health insurance once the mills found cheaper ways and less expensive areas in which to produce their product. Remember your company is in business to make money for its owners and shareholders. If labor becomes too big of an expense, the company will find a way to reduce the cost.

[GulfCoast66]

35. I'm aware of everything you just stated.

Which is why I favor universal healthcare. Or rather universal healthcare we can actually get. Not an undefined plan that one has even made a serious attempt to truthfully figure the cost of.

Expanding the now popular ACA will win support. Asking the 60,000,000 Americans who have health insurance from their employer that we have something better, trust us! Details to come later. That is a sure fire to lose and lose bad.

[DeminPennswoods]

40. There is an actual bill in the Senate you can read

It's quite detailed.

[Starry Messenger]

9. I don't have my own private health ins.

I'm on my husband's employer plan, which could change at any time. I would like to move to something more stable. My own workplace doesn't offer a plan to part-timers like me (academia.)

That said, I understand people who are suspicious about handing everything over to the government because the GOP has shown that they will shit down the neck of any centralized program we pass.

We need to have deeper conversations about all of this.

[DeminPennswoods]

10. Covered under FEHB

that would be eliminated by M4A.

I did a quick back of the envelope calculation. At my income, the medicare tax of 1.45% comes to a bit over $500/yr. My current health insurance is a bit over $1900/yr which doesn't include dental, vision or LTC. Based on those numbers, the medicare tax could rise to 5% and my current costs would break even.

[wellst0nev0ter]

12. Do I want to give THESE people MY money?

I'm not debating this.

[mysteryowl]

13. WOW!!!

[Laura PourMeADrink]

15. Voted no because employer pays for it. Can employer

Pay for Medicare for all?

[Kaleva]

16. The tally so far of how supporters voted

Last edited Wed Jul 31, 2019, 11:33 PM - Edit history (1)

Yes

20 Elizabeth Warren supporters
13 Undecideds
9 Bernie Sanders supporter
4 Kamala Harris supporter
4 Joe Biden supporters
2 Pete Buttigieg supporter
1 Jay Inslee supporter
1 Beto O'Rourke supporter
1 Pete Buttigieg supporter
1 Tom Steyer supporter
1 Marianne Williamson supporter

No

12 Joe Biden supporters
4 Undecideds
3 Pete Buttigieg supporters
1 Beto O'Rourke supporters
1 Steve Bullock supporter
1 Kamala Harris supporter

Other

1 Undecided
1 Elizabeth Warren supporter
1 Kamala Harris supporter

Members who did not wish to select any of the options provided.

1 Joe Biden supporter

[comradebillyboy]

21. I'm on medicare now and I wouldn't want to give up

my supplemental insurance. No one is going to give up a good insurance policy now for a promise of something which may or may not be better in the future.

[GulfCoast66]

24. Well said.

Few of the 60,000,000 people getting healthcare from their employer is going to vote for someone proposing to take that away for some undefined, Better, system.

[Hoyt]

28. All the M4A candidates- including Sen Harris - are promising no coinsurance/deductibles,

dental, hearing aids, etc. You would not need a supplement in that case. Don’t think they can deliver, but everyone will cheer the promises.

I’ll take it, would save me $200 a month, I’d try hearing aids, and get some dental work. But, it’s a pipe dream. Although something much better than we have now, is doable and everyone needs coverage even if all those promises are unattainable.

[comradebillyboy]

29. Can they deliver on those promises? Color me skeptical.

[Claritie Pixie]

25. Yes. Those words "give up" are deceptive.

Plans offered by employers are not up to snuff. They don't cover eye and dental. Plans for those are separate. Out of pocket expenses are too much for major illnesses.

Which big companies pay 100%? I don't know of many.

No guarantee they keep the same plan and don't change it while you work for them either. That happened to me. Leas coverage and I paid more.

What small companies can actually provide a plan to their employees?

Most cannot. Especially in the service industry.

Giving up a broken system for a better one is a no brainer.

[emmaverybo]

31. Depends on the employer. My employer, admittedly the state, paid all but sixty dollars of my

premium and dental and vision was a few extra dollars. The medical was 100 percent coverage, no
deductible, 10.00 co-pays, a few dollars for drugs.

In retirement, my Medicare premium paid out of social security is refunded and I pay no premium for my supplemental PPO plan. Same 100 percent coverage as before.

I am certainly not the only person who had excellent employer paid insurance. Many people get good group rates through employers. Nor am I the only retiree to have Medicate with a private plan at a low cost or no cost rate. True, my salary was really low.

Now Harris said on CNN tonight that she will allow private insurance for some time, but take the employer out of it. My gosh. That means you won’t get a group plan, which can cost so muchless and give the best coverage, and you will have to pay all of your individual plan yourself.

Look, those of you purporting to speak for all plans just don’t. You speak for yourself. For many of us, Medicare4All will not be a better deal.

I expect to pay more taxes so more people can have affordable insurance, but no, I don’t want to give up my plan and I would rather see ACA offer affordable plans, which could happen with less than we would invest in M4A, while we keep good programs like Medicare and Medicaid afloat and give folks the choice of keeping their employer or retirement benefit paid plans.

[Reece2076]

30. A better poll question would be should we start by adding a

public option to the ACA or scrap the whole thing and try to implement medicare for all.

The choices in the primary are not between medicare for all or just private insurance companies.

The choice is adding a public option to ACA while keeping private insurance or eliminate everything and put every American on medicare.

[DeminPennswoods]

33. Define "public option"

What is it? Buy in to Medicare? Buy in to FEHB?

[Skidmore]

34. I will not seriously consider

MFA until the Party demonstrates that it is serious about getting majorities in both houses of Congress. Republicans in the Senate under Trump will not hand MFA to the left. Democrats appear eager not to attend to either establishing majorities or beating Trump, IMHO.

[brooklynite]

37. There is a very simple response to both Republicans...and MFA advocates: "Prove It"

Put in a public option. If conservatives are right that people will want to keep employer healthcare, they won't sign up. If progressive are right that people will want an expansion of medicare, they will.

[IronLionZion]

46. Uninsured sick people would sign up if its more affordable

if too many sick people are on the public option while healthy folks stick with their employer option or go without insurance, then the risk pool would have a funding problem. Any insurance plan would work only if sick and healthy people are in the same plan. MFA would have the benefit of having everyone in one risk pool and get funding from employer taxes. The public option would still need taxes from somewhere to subsidize it.

Republicans would love to kill Social Security and Medicare but can't because those programs have widespread support from all types of elderly people since they all benefit. The GOP would find efficiencies by placing elderly people on melting icebergs if they could get away with it.

[elocs]

43. What difference does it make because Medicare for All

will not happen anytime soon, if ever and certainly not within the first term of the next president if that person is a Democrat. No candidate offers any kind of realistic explanation of how it would become law and frankly I think that's offering false hope to people who need the care.
So is it Medicare for All or nothing? Any plan B?
So let the candidates go on record whether they want Medicare for All or not and then let's hear about something better than what we have now that actually has a chance to become law.

[Kaleva]

47. No candidate has been able to explain how they are going to get ANY proposal passed by Congress.

Harris has talked about using EOs in order to enact gun control measures.

[Kaleva]

48. I have VA and Medicare so I have no private insurance to give up. I'm very happy with what I have.

[Gothmog]

53. fighting over the details of their healthcare proposals won't help them beat Donald Trump

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