Medicare for All
Text Version
What it is
“Medicare for All” includes various universal, single-payer healthcare reform plans. Under most proposals, all Americans would be moved to a federal government-run system, eliminating private insurance and current Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) programs in the process. This system would cover all essential health services without any premiums and seeks to ensure universal access to healthcare. Small variations occur between plans, but they generally permit Americans to receive services from any licensed provider. Advocates have proposed paying for these plans through taxes on the wealthy and other fundraising measures.
The case for it
Advocates for Medicare for have criticized the private healthcare system’s high costs and frequent lack of coverage during emergencies. Instead, they argue that Medicare for All would bring down costs through efficiency gains and drug price negotiations. Health care spending currently accounts for 18% of GDP, the highest spending and per-capita spending of any developed nation. Advocates claim that under Medicare for All, lower healthcare costs will offset any increase in taxes. Finally, they also highlight that this system would cover 28 million currently uninsured Americans.
The case against it
Critics highlight the large costs of Medicare for All, which have been projected to be between $20.5 to 34 trillion over 10 years for some plans, claiming that proposed sources of funding are adequate. They also have expressed concerns about implementation and decreased R&D incentives. Finally, others emphasize the nearly 150 million Americans who would have to give up their current insurance for a single-payer, government-run system. Instead, some critics propose a “public option”, where a voluntary Medicare option would be offered to all Americans.
Sources
Healthline: "Medicare for All: What Is It and How Will It Work?"
The Atlantic: "The Stunning Rise of Single-Payer Health Care"
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services: "National Health Expenditure Data"
The Atlantic: "The Eye-Popping Cost of Medicare for All"
Bloomberg: "Kamala Harris Says ‘Medicare for All’ Wouldn’t End Private Insurance. It Would"
“Medicare for All” includes various universal, single-payer healthcare reform plans. Under most proposals, all Americans would be moved to a federal government-run system, eliminating private insurance and current Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) programs in the process. This system would cover all essential health services without any premiums and seeks to ensure universal access to healthcare. Small variations occur between plans, but they generally permit Americans to receive services from any licensed provider. Advocates have proposed paying for these plans through taxes on the wealthy and other fundraising measures.
The case for it
Advocates for Medicare for have criticized the private healthcare system’s high costs and frequent lack of coverage during emergencies. Instead, they argue that Medicare for All would bring down costs through efficiency gains and drug price negotiations. Health care spending currently accounts for 18% of GDP, the highest spending and per-capita spending of any developed nation. Advocates claim that under Medicare for All, lower healthcare costs will offset any increase in taxes. Finally, they also highlight that this system would cover 28 million currently uninsured Americans.
The case against it
Critics highlight the large costs of Medicare for All, which have been projected to be between $20.5 to 34 trillion over 10 years for some plans, claiming that proposed sources of funding are adequate. They also have expressed concerns about implementation and decreased R&D incentives. Finally, others emphasize the nearly 150 million Americans who would have to give up their current insurance for a single-payer, government-run system. Instead, some critics propose a “public option”, where a voluntary Medicare option would be offered to all Americans.
Sources
Healthline: "Medicare for All: What Is It and How Will It Work?"
The Atlantic: "The Stunning Rise of Single-Payer Health Care"
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services: "National Health Expenditure Data"
The Atlantic: "The Eye-Popping Cost of Medicare for All"
Bloomberg: "Kamala Harris Says ‘Medicare for All’ Wouldn’t End Private Insurance. It Would"