>>> WELCOME BACK TO WELL"VELSHI RUHLE."
RUHLE." MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE ARE HOLDING
A HEARING ON A HEALTH CARE PLAN
THAT IS SPONSORED BY MOST OF THE
2020 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES.
IT IS A GOVERNMENT FUNDED HEALTH
CARE SYSTEM.
CARE SYSTEM. AND THE MOST EMOTIONAL TESTIMONY
THIS MORNING CAME FROM A HEALTH
CARE ACTIVIST WHO WAS DIAGNOSED
WITH A.L.S. AT THE AGE OF 32.
>> IN THIS COUNTRY THE
WEALTHIEST IN THE HISTORY OF
HUMAN CIVILIZATION, WE DO NOT
HAVE A FAIR OR RATIONAL SYSTEM
FOR DELIVERING THAT CARE.
I WILL NOT BELABOR THE POINT
BECAUSE YOU AND YOUR
CONSTITUENTS ARE WELL AWARE OF
THE PROBLEMS.
THE PROBLEMS. HIGH COSTS, BAD OUTCOMES, MIND
BOGGLE BE BUREAUCRACY, OBSCENE
PROVE FIT
PROVE FIT PROFITS.
PROFITS. FOR DOCTORS AND NURSES, IT WILL
MEAN MORE TIME GIVING HIGH
QUALITY CARE.
QUALITY CARE. AND FOR PATIENTS AND OUR
FAMILIES, IT WILL MEAN LESS TIME
DEALING WITH A BROKEN HEALTH
CARE SYSTEM AND MORE TIME DOING
THE THINGS WE LOVE TOGETHER.
>> OF COURSE HE HAS A.L.S. SO HE
CAN’T SPEAK SO IT IS A COMPUTER
THAT IS SPEAKING FOR HIM.
>> AND DR. PATEL IS JOINING US,
SHE IS AT THE BROOKINGS
INSTITUTION AND SERVED AS FORMER
DIRECT ARE TORE OF POLICY IN THE
OBAMA ADMINISTRATION AND SHE
HELPED DRAFT THE OBAMACARE
LEGISLATION.
LEGISLATION. WHAT IS YOUR OVERALL TAKE ON THE
MEDICAL CARE FOR ALL PLAN?
>> THANKS FOR HAVING ME.
I THINK THAT THE MEDICARE FOR
ALL PLAN AS WE SAW PLAY OUT IN
THE HEARING TODAY KIND OF THERE
ARE ESTIMATES AROUND HOW MUCH IT
COSTS AND IT VARIES PRETTY
WIDELY.
WIDELY. BUT YOU HEARD A RESOUNDING CRY
FROM REPUBLICANS AS WELL THAT WE
NEED TO DO SOMETHING TO FIX THE
CURRENT SYSTEM.
CURRENT SYSTEM. AS SOMEBODY WHO WORKED ON THE
AFFORDABLE CARE ACT, I WOULD
TELL YOU THAT WHAT WE PROBABLY
NEED TO DO IS STRENGTHEN BACK
THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT AND THEN
TAKE VERY SERIOUSLY THIS KIND OF
UNIVERSAL OUTCRY FROM AMERICANS
TO DO SOMETHING BETTER.
MEDICARE FOR ALL SOUNDS VERY
ATTRACTIVE, BUT WE JUST HAVE TO
HONESTLY TALK THROUGH THE
DETAILS AND WHAT WE SAW TODAY
WAS EXACTLY THAT, THAT WE NEED
TO TALK THROUGH THE DETAILS.
>> SO THERE ARE LOTS OF
ESTIMATES FOR THE COST OF THIS.
SO I’LL TAKE ONE FROM RAND
CORPORATION IN WHICH IT SAYS
THAT THE TOTAL COST OF MEDICARE
FOR ALL TOTALS $3.89 TRILLION.
THE INTERESTING PART ABOUT THIS,
IF YOU LOOK AT THE SCREEN, WHAT
WE PAY NOW AMOUNTS TO UNDER
CURRENT LAW $3.823 TRILLION.
SO PEOPLE SAY THIS IS KRACRAZY,
IS JUST THAT IT IS MORE MONEY
COMING FROM THE GOVERNMENT AS TO
MORE MONEY COMING FROM THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, FROM STATES,
PRIVATE INSURERS, FROM PEOPLE
OUT OF THEIR OWN POCKET.
HOW DO YOU EVALUATE THAT?
>> YEAH, THE RAND CORPORATION
DID I THINK IS VERY LOGICAL
ASSESSMENT AND INTERESTINGLY
ENOUGH, I THINK WHAT PEOPLE
DON’T TALK A LOT ABOUT BECAUSE
IT IS JUST SUCH A KIND OF WONK
WONKISHWONK
WONKISHWONK WONKISH DETAIL IS THAT MEDICARE
PAYS LESS THAN COMMERCIAL
INSURANCE COMPANIES, THE PEOPLE
THAT I GET MY INSURANCE THROUGH
MY BLOIR, MEDICARE PAYS DOCTORS
LESS.
LESS. MEDICAID PAYS EVEN LESS.
SO IN A MEDICARE FOR ALL
PROGRAM, THE REASON THE NUMBERS
ACTUALLY LOOK PRETTY SIMILAR IS
BECAUSE WHAT YOU ARE PAYING FOR
ALL THE OTHER KIND OF EMPLOYER
BASED SERVICES IS ACTUALLY LESS
IN A MEDICARE SYSTEM.
SO GETTING BACK TO YOUR ORIGINAL
QUESTION, YEAH, I THINK THAT
MEDICARE FOR ALL IS SOMETHING TO
BE TAKEN VERY SERIOUSLY.
AND I THINK THAT YOU ARE SEEING
CANDIDATES ON THE FIELD TRYING
TO ACTUALLY TALK THROUGH SOME OF
THESE ISSUES WAY BEYOND THE
HEADLINE.
HEADLINE. >> MORE AND MORE AMERICANS ARE
SAYING THAT THEY BELIEVE HEALTH
CARE COSTS ARE THEIR FAMILY’S
BIGGEST WORRY, BIGGEST CONCERN.
HOW WOULD A GOVERNMENT FUNDED
SYSTEM CHANGE ALL OF THAT?
SUDDENLY IT IS OFF THE TABLE?
>> NO, NOT NECESSARILY.
I MEAN WE CAN BENEFIT FROM
LOOKING AT WHAT OTHER COUNTRIES
HAVE DONE.
HAVE DONE. I KNOW SOMETIMES THAT IS VERY
DANGEROUS.
DANGEROUS. IN THE WHITE HOUSE WE LOOKED
VERY CLOSELY AT ALL THE OTHER
COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD WHO HAVE
A GOVERNMENT KIND OF SUBSIDIZED
FUNDED SYSTEM.
FUNDED SYSTEM. AND WHAT MOST AMERICANS WILL
FEEL IS THAT THERE IS AT LEAST A
SAFETY NET.
SAFETY NET. AND THAT IS REALLY WHAT
AMERICANS WANT.
AMERICANS WANT. THEY WANT STABILITY.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT OTHER
COUNTRIES, WE LOVE TO TALK ABOUT
CANADA AND THE UK, BUT LOOK AT
COUNTRIES LIKE GERMANY AND
FRANCE, EVEN WITH PROBLEMS IN
THEIR KIND OF COUNTRY’S BUDGETS,
THEY HAVE MADE A PRIORITY TO SAY
THAT IN OUR COUNTRY, HEALTH CARE
IS A RIGHT.
AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT THE
UNITED STATES HAS NOT DONE BUT
THAT THIS DEBATE IS FORCING.
>> DOCTOR, THANK YOU VERY MUCH
FOR JOINING US.
FORMER DIRECTOR OF POLICY IN THE
OBAMA ADMINISTRATION.
OBAMA ADMINISTRATION. ARE WE OUT OF TIME?
>> WE ARE.
A BUSY DAY.
>> KIND OF CRAZY.
>> INFRASTRUCTURE, CAMPAIGN,
VENEZUELA, HEALTH CARE.
>> REMEMBER THE INFRASTRUCTURE
WEEKS THAT USED TO HAPPEN?
KIND OF INTERESTING TO SEE THAT
WE MIGHT BE MAKING SOME
PROGRESS.
PROGRESS. >> WE MIGHT BE MAKING SOME
PROGRESS.
PROGRESS. I WILL NOTE THIS MORNING AT THE
CONFERENCE IN L.A. THE
PRESIDENT’S CHIEF OF STAFF AND
OMB DIRECTOR MICK MULVANEY SAID