Sanders has revealed his new Medicare for All plan to reform the health insurance sector
The 2016 presidential campaign is heating up and health care may be a major issue that will sway voters this year. Senator Bernie Sanders, whom is among the forerunners of those vying for the presidency, has introduced a new plan that seeks to reform the health insurance system in the United States. Sanders calls the plan “Medicare for All,” which is, in the most basic sense, a universal health care plan that aims to ensure that all people have access to health insurance coverage.
Plan aims to establish universal health care for all
The Medicare for All plan is meant to be financed by the federal government and is somewhat based on a single-payer system. The plan would supplant the existing private insurance sector, with Medicare serving as the primary source of health insurance coverage. Under the plan, Sanders notes that premiums would be replaced with taxes, which may place the pharmaceutical industry under a great deal of financial pressure.
Many people still lack health insurance coverage and Medicare for All may solve this plan
Senator Sanders has praised the Affordable Care Act, which he helped write, but has voiced concern that many people still lack insurance coverage. Approximately 10% of the U.S. population remains uninsured, despite major reforms being made to the country’s health care system. Universal health care may resolve this issue and Sanders believes that his Medicare for All plan is the best way to ensure that people have access to the health services that they need.
Plan aims to make health care vastly more affordable for consumers
The Medicare for All plan seeks to eliminate co-payments and deductibles, two things that have placed many consumers under a great deal of financial strain. The plan also aims to make the plans offered through the Medicare program more comprehensive, providing policyholders with extensive benefits. According to analysis from Gerald Friedman, an economist with the University of Massachusetts, the Medicare for All plan could cover as much as 98% of an individual’s medical bills. This alone may make the plan attractive to voters, but making its way through the federal legislation process may prove to be quite difficult.