Hey everyone. With this new Congress, I think we have a responsibility as Democrats and as Americans to figure out what we actually want from the people we send to Washington.
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I gave you my list last time: healthcare for all, a balanced budget, less debt, and getting corruption out of Congress. No more stock trading. Overturn Citizens United. Today I want to start with healthcare, because it’s easy to say everybody should have it. What does that actually look like?
I’ve talked with Abdul El-Sayed in the past, and he’s been laser focused on getting healthcare to everybody. He’s helping lead that conversation. But even among people who agree on the goal, we still have to answer some pretty basic questions.
Who pays?
Who runs the hospitals?
What happens to the insurance you already have?
And what do you owe when you go to the doctor?
Over the next few months, as this Congress gets to work, we’re going to look at how other countries answer those questions and what, if anything, might work here.
Maybe some versions are within reach and others aren’t. To be perfectly honest, I don’t think we’ve had an honest conversation about what we’d be paying for, what we’d be giving up, or what we’d get in return.
So let’s start there.
Healthcare for all is a goal. To understand any plan, ask three questions:
Who is covered, and for what?
Who puts in the money and who pays the bill?
Who owns the hospital or runs the practice?
Then ask what happens when you walk in the door: Can you get an appointment, and what will you owe?
The 13 options below answer different parts of those questions. Yes.. some overlap. It is ok.
