Bernie Sanders' Medicare for All #2

The executive summary linked in my previous post was for Sanders' Medicare for All Act of 2017. Its only mention of long-term care is: "Long-term care for seniors and people with disabilities will continue as it is currently covered under Medicaid." It says nothing about limiting co-pays for prescription drugs.

This story (April 10) reports that Sanders has since added to his wish list. "In this latest version, Sanders added coverage for long-term care." "Brand name prescription drugs would be subject to copays totaling no more than $200 annually."

Of course, he omits saying what all this will cost. To him cost doesn't matter. In his view health care is a "moral right" and a license to coerce others to pay or provide whatever he or the government commands. However, a "right" to coerce others to pay or provide for this alleged "right" cannot be a legitimate right, because it violates the rights of those coerced. He also wishes his audience and supporters to believe (1) it will cost them little or nothing, (2) "the rich" will pay for all or most of the cost, and (3) there will be no bad consequences such as hospitals closing and cutting staff.

Per the story White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement that his plan would entail “a total government takeover of health care that ... (would) cripple our economy and future generations with unprecedented debt.”  True and true.

The last paragraph of the story says: "Earlier this year, a poll from the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation found that Americans like the idea of Medicare for All but that support flips to disapproval if it would result in higher taxes or longer waits for care."

I found the poll results here. In other words, the majority of Americans approve of Medicare for All, if they don't have to pay more for it. But see slide 11. The majority oppose it if it requires most Americans pay more taxes, results in delays in treatment, or eliminates private health insurance.

What a surprise. Sure, I'd like a $10 million mansion and a couple of brand new Lamborghinis if somebody else is willing to pay for them. On the other hand, I won't spend my own money on anything near that extravagant.

Addenda: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who worked as an organizer for Bernie Sanders' 2016 presidential campaign, said the following according to FoxNews:

"In an interview with Jorge Ramos last week, Ocasio-Cortez was asked how she would pay for the multibillion-dollar health care plan promoted by liberal lawmakers like Sens. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Kamala Harris, D-Calif. Ramos noted critics say the program would be "more expensive" than the current system, to which she answered that people would "just pay for it."

“People often say, like, how are you going to pay for it and I find the question so puzzling because ‘How do you pay for something that’s more affordable? How do you pay for cheaper rent?’ You just pay for it,” she said."  Gibberish.