National Public Radio: on Health Care
Bernie Sanders:
Medicare-for-all: no more private insurance plans
Senator Sanders reintroduced a "Medicare-for-all" bill, the idea that fueled his 2016 presidential run. As with its previous iterations, Sanders' latest bill would establish a national, single-payer Medicare system with vastly expanded benefits.
Sanders' plan would also prohibit private plans from competing with Medicare and would eliminate cost-sharing. New in this version is a universal provision for long-term care in home and community settings.
But many of the candidates--even official "Medicare-for-all" co-sponsors--are at the same time edging toward a more incremental approach, called "Medicare for America." This proposed Medicare for America system would guarantee universal
coverage, but leave job-based insurance available for those who want it. Unlike "Medicare-for-all," though, it would preserve premiums and deductibles, so beneficiaries would still have to pay some costs out-of-pocket.
Source: NPR, "Medicare-For-All," on 2020 Democratic primary
Apr 11, 2019
Cory Booker:
Reduce Medicare eligibility to 55 from current age of 65
On Medicare: "We were one vote shy from bringing down Medicare eligibility to 55. One vote shy. I'm going to fight for that one vote when I'm running in 2020, because what would that have done?" Booker is one among several 2020 presidential
candidates backing Bernie Sanders' Medicare-for-all bill. However, he stressed in this interview that he has also backed other, less-sweeping health care proposals, like reducing the Medicare eligibility age to 55, from the current age of 65.
Source: NPR Morning Edition, "Election 2020: Opening Arguments"
Mar 7, 2019
Curt Clawson:
Lift the economic shackles of ObamaCare
Rather than address Obama's plans directly, Clawson said all new government programs and increases to federal debt or taxes were wrong. He said that "we need to
lift the economic shackles of ObamaCare," that the small-business and corporate tax rates should be cut in half.
Source: NPR.org on Tea Party 2015 State of the Union response
Jan 20, 2015
Danielle Allen:
COVID: Mandatory vaccinations for elderly, prison workers
Allen also backed the idea of mandatory vaccination for some state employees. "I do think that any job that involves working with vulnerable populations--that includes both elderly populations and incarcerated
people--should have a requirement for vaccination," Allen said. "I think that is a very basic part of ensuring health and safety in the work environment."
Source: WGBH Boston-NPR on 2022 Massachusetts gubernatorial race
Jun 25, 2021
David Shulkin:
The VA is just as good or better than private health care
David Shulkin, Trump's nominee to lead the VA, in the past has stressed an urgent need to hire more caregivers. "We have 45,000 job openings. That's too many," Shulkin said. "I need to fill every one of those openings in order to make
sure that we're doing the very best for our veterans." Shulkin said the VA performs as well or better than private health care systems, but he said that long before he was asked to join the Trump administration.
Source: NPR Morning Edition on 2017 Trump Cabinet
Jan 25, 2017
Donald Trump:
Executive order requiring healthcare price transparency
President Trump said, "The American patient should never be blindsided by medical bills. That is why I signed an Executive Order requiring price transparency. Many experts believe that transparency, which will go into full effect at the beginning of
next year, will be even bigger than healthcare reform. It will save families massive amounts of money for substantially better care."Fact -Check: It's not clear where this timeline comes from--the Department of Health and
Human Services proposed a rule for hospitals and a similar rule for insurers that would require them to reveal their negotiated prices to consumers in an accessible way. But hospitals have already sued to block the first rule,
and the rule for insurers has not been finalized. New practices can take effect only after these legal hurdles have been resolved.
Source: NPR Fact-Check on 2020 State of the Union address
Feb 4, 2020
Harry Reid:
ObamaCare improved healthcare and also improved economy
Angle said "ObamaCare" would destroy Medicare in particular and the health care system in general. "America is a country of choices--not forcing people to buy things that they don't need," Angle said.Reid countered that the health care overhaul
would not only improve health care, but improve the economy, too. "We had to do health insurance reform to remain competitive in the world economy. And it creates jobs--thousands and thousands of jobs," Reid added.
Source: NPR Morning Edition coverage of 2010 Nevada Senate debate
Oct 15, 2010
Howard Dean:
Medicare was put in place without a single Republican vote
Just think about who put Medicare in here without a single Republican vote. Everybody over 65 now has got health insurance in this country because of the Democrats. Who did Medicaid? Children all over America have health insurance. Who did the earned
income tax credit? It was Nixon with Democratic support. It makes a big difference whether you have a Democratic or Republican administration. All I'm asking is that we not let the perfect become the enemy of the good, because in this election it matters
Source: NPR, "Justice Talking" Dean-Nader Debate
Jul 9, 2004
Nan Whaley:
Build infrastructure to distribute millions of vaccines
Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley, who announced that she would not be running for a third term as mayor this year, [discussed] the prospect of running for Ohio governor in 2022. "I am a progressive Democrat and I work with Republicans all the time and I know it
can be done,'' Whaley said. "But I honestly think [DeWine] is trapped by the extremist elements of his party,'' Whaley said, [especially the NRA].In our talk, Whaley raised another issue where she has a bone to pick with the incumbent governor--the
distribution of COVID-19 vaccines throughout the state. "We are very concerned that that the infrastructure is not there to deal with getting vaccines to millions of people in Ohio,'' Whaley said. "The governor and the state are still in a scarcity mind
set. And it's appropriate that we be careful about allocating scarce resources. But, by March or April, there will be plenty coming in. What happens when we have a ton of vaccines coming in?"
Source: WVXU Cincinnati NPR on 2022 Ohio Gubernatorial race
Jan 8, 2021
Sharron Angle:
We're a country of choice; don't force people into insurance
Angle brought up the health care overhaul that Reid shepherded through the Senate. She said "ObamaCare" would destroy Medicare in particular and the health care system in general. "America is a country of choices--not forcing people to buy things
that they don't need," Angle said.Reid countered, "We had to do health insurance reform to remain competitive in the world economy. And it creates jobs--thousands and thousands of jobs," Reid added.
Source: NPR Morning Edition coverage of 2010 Nevada Senate debate
Oct 15, 2010
Page last updated: Oct 26, 2024