Bernie Sanders calls for demolition of ‘dysfunctional’ health care system while reviving his Medicare for All plan at hearing – despite Senate failing to honor Biden’s key social programs
- Bernie Sanders on Thursday condemned the country’s “dysfunctional” healthcare system as he relaunched his Medicare for All plan
- In a Fox News op-ed, he advocated for universal health coverage
- “The United States has the most dysfunctional, inefficient, bureaucratic, and expensive healthcare system in the world,” he writes
- It came ahead of a Senate Budget Committee hearing on the proposals
Senator Bernie Sanders on Thursday called for an end to the country’s “dysfunctional health care system” when he revived his Medicare for All plan during a Senate hearing.
He used an op-ed to set out his arguments for the economic and social benefits of universal health coverage.
“Now is the time for Congress to stand with the American people and confront the powerful special interests that dominate healthcare in the United States.
“Now is the time to improve Medicare and extend it to everyone,” the Democratic Socialist senator wrote in an article for Fox News.
“Here’s the bottom line: if every major country on earth can guarantee health care for all and achieve better health outcomes while spending substantially less per capita than we do, there is no reason other than greed that the United States of America can’t do the same.” do.’
Sanders’ argument is well known and has been made for years: the United States needs to catch up with all other wealthy nations in adopting a universal healthcare system.
Senator Bernie Sanders revived his Medicare for All plan with a Senate hearing and an op-ed for Fox News condemning the US healthcare system as “dysfunctional.”
The Senate Budget Committee met Thursday for a hearing entitled Medicare for All: Protecting Health, Saving Lives, Saving Money.
The debate comes after President Joe Biden saw his massive domestic spending plans turned on its head by hard-line Senate Democrats who failed to pass his Build Back Better bill
But he encounters fierce resistance. Democrats risk losing control of the Senate and House of Representatives later this year when voters are expected to give their verdict on rising prices under President Joe Biden.
Even before that, Democrats have failed to steer their biggest spending plans through a Senate in which two of their centrist colleagues — Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema — managed to kill the multi-trillion-dollar Build Back Better bill.
Sanders used a Senate Budget Committee hearing on Thursday to consider the pros and cons of his plan.
But before the hearing, Sanders said the COVID pandemic and the death toll of more than one person highlighted inequalities at the heart of the US healthcare system.
“The United States has the most dysfunctional, inefficient, bureaucratic, and expensive healthcare system in the world,” he writes.
“I don’t just think so. The American people know that.
“According to a March 2022 poll by Gallup and West Health, an estimated 93 percent of American adults believe what they pay for health care is not worth the cost.
“This survey also showed that 64 percent of Americans are dissatisfied with the availability of affordable health care.”
And even though more than $12,000 per person is spent on health care, about 30 million Americans don’t have insurance and 112 million struggle to pay for the care they need.
Instead, he writes that his plan would cover everyone.
“The Medicare for All Act of 2022, which I just introduced with 15 co-sponsors, would provide comprehensive health care to every man, woman and child in our country – at no outlay and with full freedom of choice regarding health care providers” , he said.
“No more insurance premiums, deductibles or co-payments. And comprehensive means coverage of dental care, vision, hearing aids, prescription medications, and home and community-based care.’
He said his plan could save 68,000 lives every year.
But Republicans spelled out their opposition.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, the senior Republican on the committee, said it would increase taxes and deprive people of the choice their private health insurance gives them. ‘
And it’s hard enough getting a job in America now,” he said.
“They talk about exploding the size and cost of government. That would just completely crush the private sector.’
