Single-Payer Health Care Is Seeing Record Support in Congress

[babylonsister]

http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/40234-single-payer-health-care-is-seeing-record-support-in-congress


Single-Payer Health Care Is Seeing Record Support in Congress
Sunday, April 16, 2017 By Michael Corcoran, Truthout | Report


The primary Medicare for All bill has more support in Congress now than it has ever before.

John Conyers' Medicare for All bill (HR 676), which he has introduced in each Congress since 2003, has seen a recent surge of new cosponsors -- 32 since March 8 and nine on April 3 alone. As of this writing there are 93 co-signers (and counting), representing more than 48 percent of the Democratic Caucus. This is the highest number of cosponsors ever, both in terms of members and as a percentage of the House Democratic Caucus. The count is up from just 62 cosigners -- 33 percent of Democrats -- in the last Congress, and an average of 37 percent since the bill was first introduced in 2003 (see chart).

This is an astonishing development for many reasons. Just a year ago the Democratic establishment was recklessly (and disingenuously) maligning the policy to help keep Sen. Bernie Sanders from winning the Democratic Primary. Further, facing a large GOP majority, Democrats and activists have also been forced to "play defense" just to prevent Donald Trump and the GOP from kicking 24 million Americans off their insurance and doing away with essential benefits like mental health and emergency room visits. These, of course, are important benefits of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which improved access to health insurance, but leaves about 30 million Americans uninsured. The ACA also can't control rapidly escalating health costs, a trend which has long been a central problem of our health system.

Indeed, the need for reform beyond the ACA is becoming increasingly clear. A Monmouth poll from February showed that 25 percent of Americans view health care as "the biggest concern facing their family right now." Health care was, by far, the most cited concern, dwarfing issues like immigration (3 percent) and terrorism (2 percent).

snip//

This is a reason why debate over cutting benefits in the ACA backfired on the GOP. The ACA has only gone up in popularity during the repeal effort. "The ACA has plenty of problems and is not universal. But, to its credit, if the ACA didn't do anything else, it gave many Americans a sense that universal health care is possible," Paris said.

Likewise, as Republicans debated the issue, the single-payer movement was benefiting. Advocates spoke of dramatic increases in the number of letters to the editor, web traffic and a pronounced uptick in social media interest. The Facebook page for PNHP, for instance, is now up above 50,000 members. Google Trends shows a dramatic spike in searches for "Medicare for All," and "single-payer," just as the GOP repeal bill was being debated in Congress (see image).

[get the red out]

1. We need this!

I hope this trend keeps building.

[rgbecker]

2. And well this should be American's biggest concern.

The average working stiff is paying far more for Healthcare/insurance than they do in taxes. The cost is hidden as many get it paid by their employers, which essentially cuts their pay.

American producers could much better compete with foreign goods if they had health insurance off their books and covered by the general public. And don't ask me how much my town pays for health insurance for the town employees. Single biggest item in the budget.

[Volaris]

3. I don't think too many of us were happy that the Public Option was killed,

But we took it because a lot of us could see the writing on the wall re the ACA:

Obama built that bomb with a very long fuse, but when it goes off the result WILL be universal healthcare.

Hehheh and Barrack Obama will probably get the credit for it, so suck on that, GOP.

[Demsrule86]

9. I agree completely ...the ACA passing was a amazing...and while

we paid a heavy price electorally...it was the right thing to do and has saved many lives...without the ACA, there would be no chance for a public option or single payer.

[LeftInTX]

26. There is a Frontline episode called, "Obama's Deal"

that covers this in-depth.

It can be watched here:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/film/obamasdeal/

I wasn't a member of DU at the time, didn't follow all of the details and debate during the passing of the ACA.
There is also supplemental reading at the link.

I learned alot from this Frontline episode.

[Eyeball_Kid]

4. Single payer insurance is just common sense.

It's not radical, not revolutionary. It's the logical solution to a serious and painful problem.

[Demsrule86]

5. More Democratic Party bashing from a source I never heard of.

for the record, Democrats have long supported single payer...in fact Bill Clinton tried to pass just such a bill...and lost the House. It is easy to be for something when it has no chance to pass just ask the Republicans about that...they voted numerous time to repeal the ACA but now it matters...Although, I am thrilled to hear that single payer is gaining in popularity, I still think it will be a heavy lift...someday when we have the presidency and Congress, it may be possible. Lowering the medicare age is the best way to do it...passing a big omnibus bill is risky with all the forces that will come raining down on Congress if we actually put a bill on the floor that look as if it could pass.

[ProfessorGAC]

7. I Think Some Don't Sign On. . .

. . .because they figure if it has zero hope of passing, they have bigger fish to fry. Especially post-ACA which is a better place than where things were.

Now, that the option is to let the R's dismantle something that is actually helping the american people, it's not important whether it can pass this session. They're going on record, if only as opposition to what the idiots in the "freedom" (they don't know what that word means) caucus desire.

[FakeNoose]

19. The main reason they're against single payer

... is they're taking campaign contributions from the insurance lobby.

Let's face it squarely, the insurance PAC funds are behind all of this squabbling since day one.
For all I can guess, Insurance PACs might be coming from Putin too.

[Demsrule86]

22. They who? Republicans...no doubt.

[FakeNoose]

23. The GOP is the only group against single payer, am I right?

[Tom Rinaldo]

25. Just over a year again some Democrats opposed it as being totally unfeasible

...calling single payer an idea that "will never, ever come to pass." Granted that is not the same as opposing it on its merits, but it was still opposition to attempting to achieve single payer:

"Just a few days before the Iowa caucuses, Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton stressed to voters in Des Moines just how unfeasible she considers her opponent Bernie Sanders' plan to pursue a single-payer health care system.

"I want you to understand why I am fighting so hard for the Affordable Care Act," she said at Grand View University after hearing from a woman who spoke about her daughter receiving cancer treatment thanks to the health care law. "I don't want it repealed, I don't want us to be thrown back into a terrible, terrible national debate. I don't want us to end up in gridlock. People can't wait!"

She added, "People who have health emergencies can't wait for us to have a theoretical debate about some better idea that will never, ever come to pass."
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/hillary-clinton-single-payer-health-care-will-never-ever-happen/

[FakeNoose]

30. Different agenda

Hillary had a different agenda last year.

As you will recall she had to defeat Bernie Sanders in the primaries and this was a major issue then. It doesn't mean Hillary was truly against the single payer system. She just didn't see how she could win the election if single payer was part of the platform.

Don't forget that when WJC was President Hillary made national healthcare her main focus for several years.
It's a different world now, as I'm sure we're all aware.

[Demsrule86]

32. I don't know anyone who is against single payer...the argument is ...can we do it now ?

The answer is no. We can not until we have the presidency and a significant majority in Congress. The next question is should we do a large single payer bill that those who have insurance, insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies and others will oppose strenuously once we get back into power? Probably not. The best way to implement single payer is to lower the age of medicare and add a pubic option to the ACA. But I got to tell you I am sick of those who use this issue to attack Democrats...there may be some Democrats who oppose single payer....I don't know any but they may exist ...and they are still Democrats...some want to be able to express any opinion anywhere but have little tolerance for those who do not agree with them. It is a two way street.

[PatsFan87]

34. Dianne Feinstein is against it as of this week.

Hopefully she retires. There's no reason why someone from solid blue California is against single payer. Disgusting.

http://freebeacon.com/politics/feinstein-says-she-is-not-there-on-single-payer-health-care-system-town-hall-crowd-boos/

[ProfessorGAC]

29. Yeah, That's Fair

Dunno about the Putin part, but the rest i buy.

[IronLionZion]

6. The ACA has built up a constituency of supporters

who now know it is possible. As we have seen with Democratic program Social Security and Medicare, the more popular something is the harder it is for the GOP to kill it.

[delisen]

12. There may also be hidden corporate support for single payer-

especially companies that have to compete with businesses in single-payer countries.

Prior to ACA at least one US business (it was based it Connecticut-can't remember name)moved to Ireland, citing health care costs.

[IronLionZion]

13. The car companies have endorsed single payer

A lot of large multinationals with lots of employees support it because it is the best deal for employers

[Exilednight]

18. The companies that are unionised like it because

It eliminates a large expenditure from their bottom line.

[delisen]

20. I think these are the companies with which we can make common cause

at least on this issue.

[Kimchijeon]

17. That makes sense!

[BumRushDaShow]

8. Unrec

Just a year ago the Democratic establishment was recklessly (and disingenuously) maligning the policy to help keep Sen. Bernie Sanders from winning the Democratic Primary.

(no offense babylonsister )

For several years, John Conyers promised impeachment of Shrub and even wrote a book about it and what happened?

Since 1989 (almost 30 years ago), Conyers introduced H.R. 40 (Reparations for African Americans) and did so for each Congressional session since, and what happened?

Unless Democrats control > 218 seats in the House and > 60 in the Senate (with no Senate rules to block legislation which was the case the last go-around regarding the PPACA), then there needs to be other ways to get what we want and what we need. But as long as the sniping continues from external sources like the troll author of this opinion piece, the further away we will be from getting what we need done, done. It's time for people like that author to attack the GOP full throttle, but I expect that won't happen because that is not their goal.

[JTFrog]

11. this + 1 nt

[JHan]

15. ++++

[Tom Rinaldo]

21. I agree the tone can be called divisive.

But there is still a valid point to be made there. I believe that Hillary Clinton was sincerely advocating for what she felt was the best way forward for health care for America during her campaign, and I know that differences get exaggerated during primaries. But this is what was being said then:

Hillary Clinton: "Single-payer health care will "never, ever" happen"
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/hillary-clinton-single-payer-health-care-will-never-ever-happen/

"Just a few days before the Iowa caucuses, Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton stressed to voters in Des Moines just how unfeasible she considers her opponent Bernie Sanders' plan to pursue a single-payer health care system.

"I want you to understand why I am fighting so hard for the Affordable Care Act," she said at Grand View University after hearing from a woman who spoke about her daughter receiving cancer treatment thanks to the health care law. "I don't want it repealed, I don't want us to be thrown back into a terrible, terrible national debate. I don't want us to end up in gridlock. People can't wait!"

She added, "People who have health emergencies can't wait for us to have a theoretical debate about some better idea that will never, ever come to pass."

I think the valid point being made is that what falls into the range of politically possible is a moving target that can move rapidly.

[BumRushDaShow]

27. The author of the piece cannot seem to let it go

by asserting that -

Just a year ago the Democratic establishment was recklessly (and disingenuously) maligning the policy to help keep Sen. Bernie Sanders from winning the Democratic Primary.

What you are arguing is not what the author is arguing. The author is basically saying the party itself does not want single-payer and that any critiques of Sen. Sander's version of such a plan were not only not welcome, but were somehow the source of his loss in primaries that happened over a year ago....and this is pure bullshit.

The issue is that, just like we saw with the ridiculous AHCA put forth by the GOP, there are often major technicalities that arise and need to be fleshed out when one proffers an initial legislative "plan" like this, such as what had been done by Clinton (in the '90s), Obama (in the late '00s), and Sanders (last year), and those issues need to be addressed and worked out congenially and realistically, without the continual finger-pointing and childish infighting.

One of the things rarely cited about Obama, even before he became a U.S. Senator or the President, was that as a State Senator, the type of legislation that he most focused on had to do with healthcare (from here) -

So you can see the desire was DEFINITELY there for "universal" or "single-payer", but the devil will ALWAYS be in the details.

Even as the idiot Drumpf discovered and blurted out- "nobody knew health care could be so complicated", so to do we need to acknowledge this without the hyperbolic primary crap. The irony is that far too many within the party ran away from the ACA in 2010 during that year's elections, yet as we are now seeing 7 years later, the "something" that we got was definitely better than nothing because that "something" can now form the foundation and be the basis to transition to what we really want.

[JTFrog]

10. Can't take shit like this seriously when the divisive bullshit is thrown in there.

Just a year ago the Democratic establishment was recklessly (and disingenuously) maligning the policy to help keep Sen. Bernie Sanders from winning the Democratic Primary.

Oh, truth-out.

Say no more.

[NurseJackie]

16. Thank you for saying what I was thinking.

Things like that are divisive. It's unnecessary, and it's bullshit... but it's definitely intentional. The motive is unclear, however, I can easily speculate and come up with some rational and logical conclusions. Is it "red-meat"? (Some people crave it and lap it up.) Or is it to intentionally annoy as a result of enduring bitterness and resentment? Regardless of what the writer's (or the organization's) true motive may be it's #sad and #unproductive.




------------------
Hello Alerter! My comments pertain to this particular organization and/or writer. It's not against the rules for anyone to be critical of them, nor for anyone speculate about their motive/s, nor to express an opinion with regard to whether such "activities" serve any useful purpose.

[turbinetree]

14. And just think prior to having another "recess" courteous of one Paul "Ayn Rand" Ryan or has he is

known Eddie Munster making $223,500 (worked 110 days last year) a year living off government subsidized supplied health care as Speaker of the fascists republican party :


Ryan wants everyone to "Remember the Maine"


http://talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/maine-high-risk-pools-are-freedom-caucus-solution-to-obamacare-repeal

[LAS14]

24. Where can I find a list of the sponsors? nt

[BumRushDaShow]

28. Here

https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/676/cosponsors

[brooklynite]

31. How did the "Democratic Establishment" malign the policy?

Nobody complained about the idea; just the impracticality of getting it implemented.

[Progressive dog]

33. The Democratic establishment leads the political party

that actually passed medicare, medicaid, social security,ACA etc.. It's leadership is established by election. Democrats do not rule, in fact they are the minority.
If Bernie wants to have more say, he should actually join the party that he wants to lead.