The Plan for American Healthcare

By: Elsa McConologue, Franklin Pierce University

July 16th, 2019

 

Voters across the nation are wondering what the state of healthcare will be after the election.  Lately, there have been so many ideas that are up for discussion, provided by the candidates on all sides.  Some believe that the solution is Medicare For All, while others have brought up the notion of private businesses and the complications they will face.  A few candidates who have established their thoughts on healthcare in accordance to these plans are republican Bill Weld, democrat Bernie Sanders, democrat Kamala Harris and democrat Pete Buttigieg.

Most of the current talk revolves around “Medicare” which is not to be confused with “Medicaid”.  Medicare is a federal-run program which provides coverage for ages 65 and up, or under 65 and have a medical disability.  Medicare for All is an idea which states that all U.S. citizens would be able to use this program, not just senior citizens and people with disabilities.  Medicaid, on the other hand, is a federal and state program which provides health coverage to and focuses on citizens with very low incomes.  This idea was somewhat incorporated into the system in 2010 when President Obama signed into law the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare.  Medicaid is different from medicare because, since it is also state-run, the rules for who is eligible for the program can be determined by individual states themselves.

According to recent interviews, there are three main ideas for a healthcare system in America that have been up in the air.  The first is frequently appearing on the republican side, and was mainly brought up by candidate Bill Weld, stating that a “Medicare for All option would take all the private money out of the system and what it is would be one gigantic single-payer system with nothing else”.  This idea states that a Universal Healthcare option would cause many complications with private insurance companies because U.S. citizens would automatically be enrolled in the guaranteed program.  

The other side of this argument, which has been supported by further left democratic candidates such as Bernie Sanders and Kamala Harris, says that a Medicare for All option is a much better idea.  Some argue that healthcare is a basic human right and that a single-payer system is needed in our country’s current situation.  Bernie Sanders reportedly stated that “the best way to achieve a strong and fair health care system is through a Medicare-for-all, single-payer system,” and that he has “consistently introduced, and strongly supported, legislation to establish a single-payer approach to health care”.

Students attend a briefing on “How to Research Candidate Positions on an Issue,” hosted by Anna Brown and Jacquelyn Benson of Citizens Count.”

 

 

The third opinion is also supported by democrats but is not as far left.  Candidates such as Pete Buttigieg have brought up the idea of offering a single-payer medicare option on the exchange, while simultaneously preserving the private insurance businesses.  Therefore, U.S. citizens would have the option of a paid-for, federal insurance policy, as well as their own chosen private businesses.

In conclusion, the topic of healthcare in America is widely being discussed.  There is often confusion between the two terms Medicare and Medicaid, and it is important for voters to understand the difference so that they can accurately vote for the right candidate.  On the campaign trail, there are many ideas which are being exchanged concerning what healthcare system will be the best solution for the nation’s communities.   Hopefully, by the time voting day arrives, we will have some solid options to decide on.  For more information on the candidates and their ideas on National Healthcare, visit www.citizenscount.org.

 

THE NEXT STEP

If you’re interested in how you can impact the healthcare campaign ideas with your notions, why not contact your own congressman? Visit https://www.congist.org/contact-congress/ to share your ideas and make an impact!