What you should know about the Sanders, Jayapal, Warren versions of Medicare for all

Surveys indicate about 70% of Americans favor Medicare for All. I’m guessing about 99% of those folks don’t understand what they support.

1. No deductibles, or co-pays will increase demand for services – that’s one of the reasons insurance uses them, including today’s Medicare – not to mention higher spending
2. Expansion of Medicare to include dental, vision and hearing care plus long-term care will increase demand and strain resources and cost more money
3. Their version of Medicare – for – is estimated to cost up to $35 trillion in additional funding over ten years
4. Any realized overall administrative savings from a single payer system do not accrue to the federal government and thus do not actually offset the cost of M4A
5. Lowering all health care payments to providers to current Medicare levels has potential serious consequences in terms of available resources to provide health care
6. Lowering prescription drug costs may create limitations on available drugs
7. Paying for M4A will require substantially higher payroll taxes, income taxes, a new VAT or some combination thereof and will involve all Americans. It’s not free healthcare, it’s not government provided health insurance. In terms of net out-of-pocket spending for Americans, there will be winners and losers
8. To manage costs on an ongoing basis will require more active involvement by Medicare is determining the medical necessity for healthcare, closer control of fees and available resources providing healthcare – the same things we criticize insurance companies for doing
9. The elimination of tax-free employer payments for employee health benefits may create additional taxes for many workers
10. How Americans receive healthcare will change significantly

The – unrealistic- promises being made by Americas most progressive/liberal politicians are misleading Americans while failing to explain all the implications and consequences. Yes, we need universal coverage, yes, costs are high, but there are more responsible alternatives using the Medicare model.