Bernie 2020
July 17, 2019

NEWS: In Medicare for All Speech, Bernie Sanders to Make “No Health Insurance and Pharma Money” Pledge, Call on All Democrats to do the Same

Sanders on Medicare for All: “You can’t change a corrupt system by taking its money.” 
 
WASHINGTON – When it comes to health care, the insurance and drug industries have been able to control the political process by flooding money into our elections. In the last 20 years, insurance and pharmaceutical company PACs have delivered more than $330 million worth of campaign contributions to candidates for federal office. That does not include what they spend on super PACs, dark money groups and lobbying.

In Wednesday’s Medicare for All speech, Sen. Bernie Sanders will make the “No Health Insurance and Pharma Money” pledge and call on fellow presidential candidates and the Democratic Party to reject campaign donations from health insurance and pharmaceutical industry executives, lobbyists and PACs.

In implementing this policy for his own campaign and calling on others to do the same, Sanders is illustrating that it’s impossible to change a corrupt health care system while also taking its money. In an excerpt from the speech, Sanders will say:

“You can’t change a corrupt system by taking its money. If we are going to break the stranglehold of corporate interests over the health care needs of the American people, we have got to confront a Washington culture that has let this go on for far too long. That is why I am calling on every Democratic candidate in this election to join us in rejecting money from the insurance and drug industries. Candidates who are not willing to take that pledge should explain to the American people why those interests believe their campaigns are a good investment.”

The “No Health Insurance and Pharma Money” pledge entails that a candidate, their campaign and any party committee must refuse to knowingly accept any contributions over $200 from the PACs, lobbyists or top executives of health insurance or pharmaceutical companies. The pledge does not apply to rank-and-file workers employed by pharmaceutical giants, many of whom directly feel the pain of big pharma’s relentless greed.

To coincide with the 54th anniversary of Medicare, Sanders has announced a bus trip to Canada for people with type-1 diabetes to purchase affordable insulin, held a rally to save a hospital in Philadelphia and will deliver this major address to outline how Medicare for All will economically benefit working Americans and confront the corruption of our current health care system.

Support for Medicare for All is strong and growing, despite increasing attacks being amplified by Republicans and drug and insurance industry front groups:

The Progressive Policy Institute’s most recent poll showed what it said is “unexpectedly strong support for nationalized health care.” In all 54% of respondents said they want to “change the current health care system so everyone gets health care through Medicare instead of through people’s place of work or instead of buying it directly.” That includes 75% of independents. Data here (page 23 of the PDF).
 
A recent RealClear Opinion Research poll finds that 65% of voters support Medicare For All after hearing a basic description of the plan as “a system where all Americans – not just older ones – get health insurance through the government’s Medicare system.” This support remains at a strong majority (55%) when it is described as “a system that will eliminate all private health insurance companies."
 
The recent Morning Consult poll found the identical level of support (55%) when it asked voters if they would still support Medicare For All even if it would “diminish the role of private insurers.” Support was found to be strong among independents as well, with 56% backing a “Medicare for All system that nixes the private market but allows people to keep their doctors.”
 
Tulchin Research polls of Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania found Medicare for All support at majority support (+20 margin) in all states even after the plan is attacked and voters are told that the proposal “takes away the current private health plans of millions of people.”
 
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Bernie 2020
July 13, 2019

NEWS: Bernie Sanders to Deliver Major Address On Medicare for All

In the speech, Sanders will confront the opponents of Medicare for All and the insurance industry that profits off those who are sick 

WASHINGTON – Marking the anniversary of the passage of Medicare into law, Sen. Bernie Sanders will deliver a major address on Wednesday at George Washington University on Medicare for All.

In the address, Sanders will confront the Democratic opponents of Medicare for All and directly challenge the insurance and drug industry, that relies on people being sick in order to profit. Sanders will also outline how Medicare for All is the only way to fix our broken health care system and call on the Democratic party to unite around it in order to guarantee health care as a human right.

The address comes two weeks before Sanders will lead a group of Americans with type 1 diabetes on a bus trip to Canada to purchase insulin at far lower prices than available in the U.S.

Here are the details:

Wednesday, July 17
4 p.m. Bernie Sanders Delivers Address on Medicare for All
The George Washington University, Jack Morton Auditorium, 805 21st Street, NW, 1st floor, Washington, DC 20052
Information for the public: This event is closed to the public. Admission will be granted by invitation only.
Bernie 2020
July 13, 2019

NEWS: Sanders Responds to Biden's Attacks on Medicare for All  

BURLINGTON, Vt. – Sen. Bernie Sanders today issued the following statement in response to remarks made by Vice President Joe Biden yesterday in Portsmouth, New Hampshire: 

"At a time when Donald Trump and the health insurance industry are lying every day about Medicarefor All, I would hope that my fellow Democrats would not resort to misinformation about my legislation.

Here are the facts. Under Medicare for All, over a four-year period, we will transition to a system in which Medicare is expanded to cover every man, woman, and child in the country.

It is preposterous to argue that as we expand Medicare For All that people with cancer and other illnesses will not get the care that they need. In fact, under Medicare For All, the good news is that we will end the horror of millions of people going into bankruptcy and financial distress simply because they need hospital care for serious conditions.

We have a health care crisis in this country. Every day, Americans die because they cannot afford the health care they desperately need, while the CEOs of insurance and drug companies get rich off their suffering. We cannot continue to tinker around the edges while 80 million Americans lack health insurance or are under-insured with high premiums, co-pays, and deductibles."
 
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Bennet for America
July 15, 2019

Michael Bennet Calls on Sanders, Warren, Harris, and Others to Reconsider Medicare for All

DENVER — Michael Bennet today issued the following statement on the need for a public option: 
 
“I have worked to deliver universal health care with a Medicare-X public option plan for years, and I'm pleased Vice President Biden today introduced a very similar plan. 
 
“Now is an opportunity for Senators Sanders, Warren, Harris, and others to reconsider their Medicare for All approach, and stand behind a public option that is the quickest and best way to achieve universal coverage, unify the party, and defeat Donald Trump.”
 
Background:
 
Michael has long been at the forefront of this issue, leading his colleagues to push for inclusion of a public option in the original Affordable Care Act. In 2010, Michael won a primary defending the public option and a general election defending the ACA at the height of the Tea Party wave. 
 
Michael wrote and introduced Medicare-X, his public option plan, in 2017. 
 
Michael’s plan builds on the Medicare framework to establish a public insurance option. Medicare-X starts on the individual exchange in rural areas with one or zero insurers. By 2024, it expands nationwide, and by 2025, it becomes available on the small business exchange. 
 
Medicare-X, for the first time in history, requires the federal government to negotiate lower prescription drug prices. 
 
It uses Medicare’s network of doctors and providers and guarantees the essential health benefits established in the ACA, such as maternity care and mental health services. By using the Medicare framework, it provides an affordable option without adding government bureaucracy. Because Medicare-X’s payment rates to medical providers are lower than those for private insurance, this public option actually saves taxpayer dollars and reduces the deficit.
 
Michael also is the Democratic lead in the Senate to end surprise medical bills. 
 
Michael authored a plan to prohibit “surprise medical bills,” alleviating the financial burden on consumers as a result of these bills and increasing transparency in our healthcare system.
 
Michael's plan ensures a patient is only required to pay the in-network amount for emergency services, regardless of whether the patient is treated at an out-of-network facility or by an out-of-network provider.
 
His plan also prohibits surprise bills for non-emergency care when a patient sees an out-of-network provider, such as an anesthesiologist, at an in-network facility. The plan protects patients in scenarios where their in-network provider orders services, such as laboratory or imaging, that are carried out by out-of-network providers. 
 
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Friends of John Delaney
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, July 16, 2019
CONTACT: Carrie Healey

Delaney: “Senator Sanders is wrong on Medicare for all”

FRIENDSHIP HEIGHTS, MD - On the eve of Senator Sanders defense of Medicare for All, John Delaney released a video on social media outlining his opposition to Medicare for all.

A transcript of the video is provided below:
 
“Here’s what Senator Sanders isn’t willing to tell you about Medicare for All. If you have private insurance and like it, under Medicare for all, you will not be able to keep it. Period. This is spelled out plainly in the bill. He’ll tell you all the nice stuff, but he won’t tell you an important part you need to hear. Under Medicare for all, private insurance that covers most aspects of healthcare is illegal. 

If we run on taking health insurance plans away from 150 million Americans we will lose. Healthcare is the number one issue for voters and they won't trust us that the new government healthcare will be as good as the health insurance they like. Donald Trump will be re-elected and we’ll spend another four years wondering how we managed to lose...again. Senator Sanders is wrong on Medicare for all - it’s not good politics. But it’s also not good policy. Did you know that Medicare doesn’t fully cover the cost of healthcare? So if all the bills in the country were paid at Medicare rates, many hospitals would close.

We can’t let Senator Sanders be the reason we lose to Donald Trump. My plan BetterCare provides universal health care coverage to everyone as a basic right – for free. But also allows people to have the option to keep their private plans, their employer plans or their union plans. It allows our seniors to keep their Medicare Advantage, which is private insurance and would go away under medicare for all.

If you want to know more about BetterCare, head over to johndelaney.com and check it out. We can’t afford more impossible promises from politicians. We have someone in the White House who already does that. It’s time for the rest of the candidates in the field, to be honest with the American people. Let’s get to work."

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