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Seth Moulton on Health Care

Democratic Presidential Challenger (withdrawn); MA Rep.

 


Opposes Medicare for All, but would expand coverage

Moulton on Medicare For All: Opposes Medicare for All, but would expand coverage

EIGHT CANDIDATES HAVE SIMILAR VIEWS: Michael Bennet; Joseph Biden, Jr.; Steve Bullock; John Delaney; John Hickenlooper; Jay Inslee; Amy Klobuchar; Beto O`Rourke.

About half of the candidates in the large Democratic field have come out against Medicare for All. Their criticisms have focused on its potential cost (pegged at more than $30 trillion over a decade by outside groups) and the disruption to patients and the health care system resulting from forcing everyone into a single government-run plan.

Many in this camp say they favor an alternative approach allowing people to keep their private insurance while making a government plan available to anyone who prefers it. The competition from the cheaper public plan, they argue, would drive insurance costs down in the private market as well. Others argue for taking things slower and prioritizing solutions for those currently facing the highest health costs.

Source: Politico "2020Dems on the Issues" , Jul 17, 2019

Don't force people to get rid of their private health plans

Q: Would your focus be improving the Affordable Care Act or replacing it with single payer?

A: "I'm not going to force people to get rid of their private health care plans if they like them."

Source: 2019 "Meet the Candidates" (NY Times.com) , Jun 18, 2019

Treat mental health like physical care with regular checkups

It's just like when you get a physical, and the doctor says you should go to the gym, you should go on runs, you should eat healthy. That's exactly what I believe about mental health care. That's why I'm introducing these policy goals to talk about making sure that every soldier, sailor, airman, and Marine gets regular mental health care checkups, just like they get physicals, that it becomes routine, both for active duty and for veterans at the VA. I hope that that will be a model for the rest of the country. I will make sure that every high schooler in America gets a checkup with a mental health care professional and learn how to proactively take care of themselves mentally.
Source: CNN SOTU 2019 interview of presidential hopefuls , Jun 2, 2019

Expand mental care at VA, rest of country

I'm introducing these policy goals to talk about making sure that every soldier, sailor, airman, and Marine gets regular mental health care checkups, that it becomes routine, both for active duty and for veterans at the VA. I hope that that will be a model for the rest of the country. That's why I will make sure that every high schooler in America gets to get a checkup with a mental health care professional, and not only that, but learn how to proactively take care of themselves mentally.
Source: CNN State of the Union 2019 interview , Jun 2, 2019

Provide troops and vets both physical and mental health care

It's just like when you get a physical, and the doctor says, "you should go to the gym, you should go on runs, you should eat healthy." That's exactly what I believe about mental health care. That's why I'm introducing these policy goals to talk about making sure that every soldier, sailor, airman, and Marine gets regular mental health care checkups, just like they get physicals, that it becomes routine, both for active duty and for veterans at the VA.
Source: CNN "SOTU" 2019 interview series , Jun 2, 2019

Don't tie healthcare with job; cover pre-existing conditions

Healthcare is a right, not a privilege. All Americans deserve health insurance that's affordable, that isn't tied to a job, and that covers all pre-existing conditions--no matter who you are.

President Obama fought hard to pass the Affordable Care Act, which expanded healthcare coverage to millions of Americans, protected pre-existing conditions, and set the standard for coverage. But even under Obamacare, costs for healthcare are too high and climbing.

That's why we need a public option, which would give all Americans a choice between public healthcare and their current insurance. Doing so would create competition in the market, driving down prices and giving Americans what they deserve: lower prescription prices, cheaper premiums, coverage for pre-existing conditions, and better care.

Source: 2020 Presidential Campaign website SethMoulton.com , May 2, 2019

Improve ObamaCare but not single-payer

Moulton is a fan of the Affordable Care Act but says he would welcome "improvements." Unlike some of his competitors, he's not a fan of single-payer health care, which he says is "not perfect."
Source: CNN Town Hall with 2020 presidential hopefuls , Apr 23, 2019

Health care is a right, and also smart policy

I believe better health care is not just a right, but also smart policy--good health care means better lives, stronger communities, and economic innovation. America spends 52% more per capita on health care than any other country in the world, and yet we rank 12th in health care results. Better health care policy should improve both--improving outcomes, while also reducing costs and inefficiencies.

I support the Affordable Care Act because it takes important steps to lower costs and broaden access to care for many who have previously been locked out of the insurance market. But I also don't believe that the ACA is perfect. I will always jump at the opportunity to make it better.

One area that needs to be addressed is health care supply; we need to make the proper investments in technology to increase the supply of medical services, while also ensuring everyone has efficient access. Where there are problems, I will own up to them and fight to fix them.

Source: 2014 House campaign website, SethMoulton.com , Sep 1, 2014

Opposes repealing Obamacare.

Moulton opposes the CC survey question on repealing ObamaCare

CC.org's self-description: "The Christian Coalition voter guide [is] one of the most powerful tools Christians have ever had to impact our society during elections. This simple tool has helped educate tens of millions of citizens across this nation as to where candidates for public office stand on key faith and family issues.

The Coalition is a political organization, made up of pro-family Americans who care deeply about ensuring that government serves to strengthen and preserve, rather than threaten, our families and our values. To that end, we work continuously to identify, educate and mobilize Christians for effective political action." The CC survey summarizes candidate stances on the following topic: 'Repealing healthcare law (Obamacare) that forces citizens to buy insurance or pay a tax'

Source: Christian Coalition Survey 14-CC-Q5 on Aug 15, 2014

Opposes repealing Obamacare, according to Faith2Action.

Moulton opposes the F2A survey question on repealing ObamaCare

Faith2Action.org is "the nation's largest network of pro-family groups." They provide election resources for each state, including Voter Guides and Congressional Scorecards excerpted here. The F2A survey summarizes candidate stances on the following topic: 'Health Care: Do you support repealing the 2010 Affordable Care Act?'

Source: Faith2Action Survey 14-F2A-Q5 on Jul 30, 2014

Opposes repealing Obamacare, according to PVS rating.

Moulton opposes the PVS survey question on repealing ObamaCare

Project VoteSmart infers summary responses from campaign statements and news reports The PVS survey summarizes candidate stances on the following topic: 'Health Care: Do you support repealing the 2010 Affordable Care Act?'

Source: Project VoteSmart Inferred Survey 14-PVS-q5 on Sep 30, 2014

GOP can't beat ObamaCare, so they pretend it's a "disaster".

Moulton voted NAY Full Repeal of ObamaCare

Heritage Action Summary: This vote would fully repeal ObamaCare.

Heritage Foundation recommendation to vote YES: (2/3/2015): ObamaCare creates $1.8 trillion in new health care spending and uses cuts to Medicare spending to help pay for some of it. Millions of Americans already have lost, and more likely will lose, their coverage because of ObamaCare. Many Americans have not been able to keep their doctors as insurers try to offset the added costs of ObamaCare by limiting the number of providers in their networks. In spite of the promise, the law increases the cost of health coverage.

Secretary of Labor Robert Reich recommendation to vote NO: (robertreich.org 11/22/2013): Having failed to defeat the Affordable Care Act, Republicans are now hell-bent on destroying the ObamaCare in Americans' minds, using the word "disaster" whenever mentioning the Act, and demand its repeal. Democrats [should] meet the Republican barrage with three larger truths:

  1. The wreck of private insurance: Ours has been the only healthcare system in the world designed to avoid sick people. For-profit insurers have spent billions finding and marketing their policies to healthy people--while rejecting people with preexisting conditions, or at high risk.
  2. We could not continue with this travesty of a healthcare system: ObamaCare is a modest solution. It still relies on private insurers--merely setting minimum standards and "exchanges" where customers can compare policies.
  3. The moral imperative: Even a clunky compromise like the ACA between a national system of health insurance and a for-profit insurance market depends, fundamentally, on a social compact in which those who are healthier and richer are willing to help those who are sicker and poorer. Such a social compact defines a society.

Legislative outcome: Passed House 239-186-8; never came to a vote in the Senate.

Source: Supreme Court case 15-H0132 argued on Feb 3, 2015

2017-18 Governor, House and Senate candidates on Health Care: Seth Moulton on other issues:
MA Gubernatorial:
Bill Weld
Bob Massie
Charlie Baker
Dan Wolf
Deval Patrick
Don Berwick
Jay Gonzalez
Jesse Gordon
Karyn Polito
Lawrence Lessig
Martha Coakley
Marty Walsh
Richard Tisei
Setti Warren
Steve Grossman
Tom Menino
Warren Tolman
MA Senatorial:
Beth Lindstrom
Ed Markey
Elizabeth Warren
Geoff Diehl
Heidi Wellman
Joe Kennedy III
John Kingston
Shannon Liss-Riordan
Shiva Ayyadurai

Freshman class of 2019:
"Freshman class" means "not in Congress in January 2017", with exceptions:
* Special election, so sworn in other than Jan. 2019
** Served in Congress in a previous term
*** Lost recount or general election
Freshman class of January 2019 (Republicans):
AZ-8*:Lesko
CA-39***:Kim
FL-6:Waltz ; FL-15:Spano ; FL-17:Steube
GA-7:Woodall
ID-1**:Fulcher
IN-4:Baird
IN-6:Pence
KS-2:Watkins
MN-1:Hagedorn ; MN-8:Stauber
MS-3:Guest
MT-0*:Gianforte
NC-9***:Harris
ND-a:Armstrong
NM-2***:Herrell
OH-12*:Balderson ; OH-16:Gonzalez
OK-1:Hern
PA-9:Meuser ; PA-11**:Smucker ; PA-12*:Keller ; PA-13:Joyce ; PA-14:Reschenthaler
SC-4:Timmons
SD-0:Johnson
TN-2:Burchett ; TN-6:Rose ; TN-7:Green
TX-2:Crenshaw ; TX-3:Taylor ; TX-5:Gooden ; TX-6:Wright ; TX-21:Roy ; TX-27*:Cloud
VA-5:Riggleman ; VA-6:Cline
WI-1:Steil
WV-3:Miller
Freshman class of January 2019 (Democrats):
AZ-2**:Kirkpatrick ; AZ-9:Stanton
CA-49:Levin ; CA-10:Harder ; CA-21:Cox ; CA-25:Hill ; CA-39:Cisneros ; CA-45:Porter ; CA-48:Rouda
CO-2:Neguse ; CO-6:Crow
CT-5:Hayes
FL-26:Mucarsel-Powell ; FL-27:Shalala
GA-6:McBath
HI-1**:Case
IA-1:Finkenauer ; IA-3:Axne
IL-4:Garcia ; IL-6:Casten ; IL-14:Underwood
KS-3:Davids
KY-6***:McGrath
MA-3:Trahan ; MA-7:Pressley
MD-6:Trone
ME-2:Golden
MI-8:Slotkin ; MI-9:Levin ; MI-13:Tlaib ; MI-13*:Jones ; MI-11:Stevens
MN-2:Craig ; MN-3:Phillips ; MN-5:Omar
NC-9***:McCready
NH-1:Pappas
NJ-2:Van Drew ; NJ-3:Kim ; NJ-7:Malinowski ; NJ-11:Sherrill
NM-1:Haaland ; NM-2:Torres Small
NV-3:Lee ; NV-4**:Horsford
NY-14:Ocasio-Cortez ; NY-11:Rose ; NY-19:Delgado ; NY-22:Brindisi ; NY-25:Morelle
OK-5:Horn
PA-4:Dean ; PA-5:Scanlon ; PA-6:Houlahan ; PA-7:Wild ; PA-17*:Lamb
SC-1:Cunningham
TX-7:Fletcher ; TX-16:Escobar ; TX-29:Garcia ; TX-32:Allred
UT-4:McAdams
VA-2:Luria ; VA-7:Spanberger ; VA-10:Wexton
WA-8:Schrier
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Page last updated: Jun 13, 2020