>>> IF YOU HAVE LEARNED ANYTHING FROM THE FIRST PRESIDENTIAL
DEBATE, FINDING A HEALTHCARE
SOLUTION IS A MAJOR PARTY.
NOT EVERYONE IS ON THE SAME
PAGE.
PAGE. SOME KONDCOP CONTENDERS WANT MED
FOR ALL.
FOR ALL. SOME COULD NOT AGREE WHETHER OR
NOT TO ELIMINATE PRIVATE
INSURANCE ALL TOGETHER.
THERE ARE TWO MAJOR FEDORERALLY
FUNDED MEDICARE PROGRAM.
MEDICARE IS MANAGED BY THE
GOVERNMENT AND COVERS ADULTS WHO
ARE 65 OR OLDER AND CERTAIN
YOUNGER PEOPLE UNDER THE AGE OF
65 WITH DISABILITIES AND THOSE
WITH END STAGE.
THE PROGRAM MEDICARE IS MADE UP
OF THREE PARTS.
PART A COVERS HOSPITAL STAGE.
PART B COVERS CERTAIN DOCTOR
SERVICES.
SERVICES. PART B ADDS PRESCRIPTION DRUG
COVERAGE.
COVERAGE. YOU MUST BE WONDERING WHAT
HAPPENS TO C.
HERE IS C.
THAT’S MEDICARE ADVANTAGE,
OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE ALL IN
ONE ALTERNATIVE TO ORIGINAL
MEDICARE.
MEDICARE. MEDICARE ADD ADVANTAGE THAT’S A
HEALTH PLAN THAT’S OPERATED BY
PRIVATE INSURANCE COMPANY WHO
ARE APPROVED BY MEDICARE,
COVERING THINGS LIKE SPECIAL
NEED PLANS AND MEDICARE SAVING
ACCOUNTS.
ACCOUNTS. SOME PEOPLE THINK MAYBE IT
NEEDED A DIFFERENT NAME SO IT IS
NOT CONFUSING.
NOT CONFUSING. THIS IS THE VERY THING THAT SOME
DEMOCRATIC CON TEPIDTENDERS LIKE
BERNIE SANDERS AND ELIZABETH
WARREN ARE PUSHING FOR.
YOU MAY NOT REFER TO IT AS A
SINGLE H
SINGLE H SINGLE-PAYER SYSTEM.
SINGLE-PAYER SYSTEM. THAT WOULD MEAN THERE WOULD BE
NOT ONLY NO MORE PRIVATE
INSURERS BUT NO MORE AFFORDABLE
CARE ACT.
CARE ACT. JOINING ME NOW IS ACT.
JOINING ME IS ELIZABETH
ROSENTHAL.
ROSENTHAL. ELIZABETH, THANK YOU FOR BEING
WITH US.
WITH US. I’M TRYING TO MAKE THIS CLEAR.
I HOPE I DIDN’T CONFUSE THINGS
MORE THAN WAS ALREADY CONFUSED.
BUT IF IN 2020 MEDICARE FOR ALL
GETS ENACTED WHAT WOULD THAT
MEAN FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE ON A
MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PLAN?
>> WELL, YOU KNOW, PART OF THE
PROBLEM IS THAT THE CANDIDATES
HAVE NOT BEEN TERRIBLY CLEAR.
I LIKED THAT THIS WAS ALL
REDUCED -- OR I WAS AMUSED THAT
IT WAS ALL REDUCED TO RAISING
YOUR HAND.
YOUR HAND. IT REPLACES A LOT OF GOVERNMENT
RUN PARTS BUT A WHOLE LOT OF
PARTS WE’VE OUTSOURCED TO THE
PRIVATE INDUSTRY.
PRIVATE INDUSTRY. IT’S NOT ONE PLAN.
IT’S A BUNCH OF DIFFERENT PLANS.
IF YOU WANT BETTER DRUG COVERAGE
YOU PAY EXTRA FOR THAT.
WHAT BERNIE SANDERS AND THAT
CAMP ARE TALKING ABOUT REALLY IS
LIKE SUPER MEDICARE.
AND AGAIN, I’M NOT SAYING WHERE
WE SHOULD GO.
BUT THERE’S A LOT OF DETAILS
THAT NEED TO BE WORKED OUT TO
KNOW IF THAT’S A MEANINGFUL
PROPOSAL.
PROPOSAL. AND, YOU KNOW, NEITHER THE
POLITICIANS NOR THE VOTERS HAVE
THOSE AT THIS POINT.
>> IF YOU LOOK AT COUNTRIES LIKE
MOST COUNTRIES THAT HAVE SOME
FORM OF UNIVERSAL HEALTH
OFFERING, OR HEALTH INSURANCE,
THE QUESTION WE’RE FACING HERE
THAT A LOT OF THE CANDIDATES
BROUGHT UP IS THAT A LOT OF
PEOPLE LIKE ME WHO ARE ON
PRIVATE INSURANCE MAY NOT WANT
TO GIVE UP THEIR PRIVATE
INSURANCE IN FAVOR OF A MEDICARE
FOR ALL OR A SINGLE PAYER OR A
UNIVERSAL INSURANCE PROGRAM.
THAT MAY WELL BE TRUE.
THE PLACES THAT HAVE THESE TYPES
OF EITHER SINGLE PAYER OR
UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE THAT DON’T
HAVE AN OPTION, A PRIVATE
OPTION, EVERYBODY GETS COVERAGE.
SO EVERYBODY, ALL THE DOCTORS
TAKE THE PAYMENT BECAUSE THE
PAYMENT IS MADE EITHER BY A
CENTRAL ORGANIZATION OR BY
PRIVATE INSURERS.
PRIVATE INSURERS. ARE WE CREATING A FALSE
CONSTRUCT HERE WHERE WE’RE
SAYING TO PEOPLE WELL, WE CAN’T
DO THIS BECAUSE YOU’RE GOING TO
LOSE YOUR SPECIFIC TYPE OF
INSURANCE?
INSURANCE? YOU’VE HEARD IT REFERRED TO FOR
UNION MEMBERS, REFERRED TO FOR
EMPLOYEES WITH PRIVATE
INSURANCE.
INSURANCE. >> YOU KNOW, TO SOME EXTENT WE
ARE, AND TO SOME EXTENT THE
CANDIDATES OFTEN SPEAK OUT OF
BOTH SIDES OF THEIR MOUTH ABOUT
THIS.
THIS. I MEAN, A LOT OF CO-SPONSORS OF
THE MEDICARE FOR ALL BILLS, IN
CONGRESS, ARE ON THE DEBATE
STAGE.
STAGE. AND THEY REALLY DON’T WANT --
THEY WILL NOT SAY THEY WANT TO
DO AWAY WITH PRIVATE INSURANCE,
WHICH IS WHAT THE SANDERS PLAN
WOULD DO.
WOULD DO. SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK, YES, SOME
OF US ARE REALLY LUCKY THAT WE
HAVE PRIVATE INSURANCE THAT’S
BETTER THAN MEDICARE.
MANY PEOPLE HAVE PRIVATE
INSURANCE THAT’S WORSE THAN
MEDICARE.
MEDICARE. SO I THINK THE MIDDLE GROUND
THAT A LOT OF THE CANDIDATES ARE
PROPOSING IS A MEDICARE BUY-IN.
SO IF YOUR PRIVATE INSURANCE
HAPPENS TO NOT BE AS GOOD YOU
CAN CHOOSE MEDICARE, WHICH HEY,
WARTS AND ALL, IT’S A VERY
POPULAR PROGRAM.
POPULAR PROGRAM. WHEN I SPEAK TO PEOPLE IN THEIR
50s AND THEIR 60s THEY OFTEN
TALK ABOUT THE PROMISED LAND OF
MEDICARE.
MEDICARE. AND, YOU KNOW, SURE, THERE ARE
SOME SURPRISE COSTS.
BUT, YOU KNOW, BASICALLY MOST
DOCTORS AND HOSPITALS TAKE IT.
AND I THINK WHERE WE ARE IN
AMERICAN HEALTH CARE RIGHT NOW
PEOPLE ARE GENERALLY REALLY,
REALLY FRUSTRATED.
REALLY FRUSTRATED. NOW, I THINK THE CANDIDATES THAT
WON’T GO THERE ARE WORRIED, NOT
SO MUCH ABOUT -- MAYBE A LITTLE
BIT ABOUT PISSING SOME OF THE
PATIENTS WHO HAVE GOOD INSURANCE
BUT ALSO THEY’RE VERY WORRIED
ABOUT THE HOSPITAL AND THE
INSURANCE LOBBY THAT REALLY
DOESN’T WANT THAT KIND OF
MEDICARE FOR ALL SYSTEM.
>> THAT IS THE POINT THAT I WAS
HOPING YOU’D GET TO BECAUSE
THAT’S -- IT IS -- IT IS