Vox Media: on Health Care
Bob Casey:
Defend ObamaCare instead of single-payer
During Barack Obama's presidency, Rep. John Conyers (D-MI) could only find 62 other House Democrats willing to co-sponsor his single-payer health care proposal--which would expand Medicare to cover every American. But now that Speaker Paul Ryan's
House health care bill has imploded, Conyers's team has already signed up 78 co-sponsors for the exact same single-payer bill. And Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) announced over the weekend he'd be launching a new Medicare-for-All initiative.
But while Sanders and progressive Democrats clamor for a more aggressive approach, some Senate Democrats expressed skepticism about the need to go that far, that quickly. Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO) was openly critical, arguing "it's important
that we keep options open for people who rely on health care." Most preferred to duck the question altogether, and concentrate on defending Americans who are covered under ObamaCare, as Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA) put it.
Source: Jeff Stein in Vox.com, "TrumpCare dead"
Mar 29, 2017
Claire McCaskill:
Keep options open, instead of single-payer
During Barack Obama's presidency, Rep. John Conyers (D-MI) could only find 62 other House Democrats willing to co-sponsor his single-payer health care proposal--which would expand Medicare to cover every American. But now that Speaker Paul Ryan's
House health care bill has imploded, Conyers's team has already signed up 78 co-sponsors for the exact same single-payer bill. And Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) announced over the weekend he'd be launching a new Medicare-for-All initiative.
But while Sanders and progressive Democrats clamor for a more aggressive approach, some Senate Democrats expressed skepticism about the need to go that far, that quickly. Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO) was openly critical, arguing "it's important
that we keep options open for people who rely on health care." Most preferred to duck the question altogether, and concentrate on defending Americans who are covered under ObamaCare, as Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA) put it.
Source: Jeff Stein in Vox.com, "TrumpCare dead"
Mar 29, 2017
Cory Booker:
Ok to consider single-payer, but I'm not behind it
During Barack Obama's presidency, Rep. John Conyers (D-MI) could only find 62 other House Democrats willing to co-sponsor his single-payer health care proposal--which would expand Medicare to cover every American. But now that Speaker Paul Ryan's
House health care bill has imploded, Conyers's team has already signed up 78 co-sponsors for the exact same single-payer bill. And Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) announced over the weekend he'd be launching a new Medicare-for-All initiative.
But while Sanders and progressive Democrats clamor for a more aggressive approach, some Senate Democrats expressed skepticism about the need to go that far, that quickly.
Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) wouldn't get behind a single-payer health care system, instead calling it "one of those options that must be considered" in an email to Vox.
Source: Jeff Stein in Vox.com, "TrumpCare dead"
Mar 29, 2017
Jay Inslee:
Implemented statewide public option within ObamaCare
A first-of-its-kind ObamaCare "public option" will be implemented in Washington state after Gov. Inslee signed a bill creating the new health care program. The program will be a trial run for this kind of health care expansion. Here is how the "public
option" plan actually works:- The Washington government would contract with private health carriers to sell state-sponsored health insurance plans on its ObamaCare marketplace.
- The public option plan would be required to meet certain benefits
and out-of-pocket requirements set by the state.
- The plan would pay health care providers 160% of Medicare rates, with a few limited exceptions.
- The state will explore increasing the eligibility for insurance tax subsidies from 400% of the federal
poverty level (as set by ObamaCare) to 500%.
"It really is a public option in the sense that we have a public umbrella of benefit to all Washingtonians," Inslee told me. "It is a public guarantee for the first time. It's a legal benefit."
Source: Vox.com on 2020 Democratic presidential primary
May 20, 2019
Jay Inslee:
Medicare for all who want it: opt-in, not mandate
Q: You've endorsed the idea of Medicare-for-all; how does your state plan compare?A: Well, I call it "Medicare for all who want it." I have not called for making all private coverage illegal. I've not called to make all private carriers illegal.
There's a little flavor difference there. We do obviously believe health care is a right; we believe in universal coverage. We believe my step is a good step forward, but it's not the only one. We've got to reduce the age of automatic entry.
I think we should reduce the age of eligibility to zero for new citizens. That will give us a full Medicare plan as more Americans come into the system.
Q: Would you be willing to let people who get insurance through their work join a government plan
if they wanted to?
A: Yes, that includes employer-sponsored plans. They're certainly eligible to come in. I believe over time, people are going to find it very, very attractive. [We hope] to give people confidence to move to a Medicare-for-all system.
Source: Vox.com on 2020 Democratic presidential primary
May 20, 2019
Neil Gorsuch:
Individual mandate is unconstitutional even with $0 tax
The Court's decision in CA v. TX concludes that the plaintiffs trying to undo ObamaCare had no business being in court. The case was brought by Texas officials who object to ObamaCare, centered on the law's individual mandate [which] required most
Americans to either obtain health insurance or pay higher taxes. In 2017, Congress amended ObamaCare to zero out this tax. The plaintiffs claimed that this zeroed-out tax is unconstitutional and also claimed that the entire law must be declared invalid
if the zero dollar tax is stuck down.In a 7-2 ruling, the Court ruled that no one is allowed to bring suit to challenge a provision of law that does nothing: "The IRS can no longer seek a penalty; there is no possible action that is causally connected
to the plaintiffs' injury."
SCOTUS outcome:Opinion authored by Breyer; joined by Roberts; Thomas; Sotomayor; Kagan; Kavanaugh; and Barrett. Alito and Gorsuch dissented, [declaring the] individual mandate "clearly unconstitutional"
Source: Vox.com on 2021 SCOTUS ruling: "California v. Texas"
Jun 17, 2021
Samuel Alito:
Individual mandate is unconstitutional even with $0 tax
The Court's decision in CA v. TX concludes that the plaintiffs trying to undo ObamaCare had no business being in court. The case was brought by Texas officials who object to ObamaCare, centered on the law's individual mandate [which] required most
Americans to either obtain health insurance or pay higher taxes. In 2017, Congress amended ObamaCare to zero out this tax. The plaintiffs claimed that this zeroed-out tax is unconstitutional and also claimed that the entire law must be declared invalid
if the zero dollar tax is stuck down.In a 7-2 ruling, the Court ruled that no one is allowed to bring suit to challenge a provision of law that does nothing: "The IRS can no longer seek a penalty; there is no possible action that is causally connected
to the plaintiffs' injury."
SCOTUS outcome:Opinion authored by Breyer; joined by Roberts; Thomas; Sotomayor; Kagan; Kavanaugh; and Barrett. Alito and Gorsuch dissented, [declaring the] individual mandate "clearly unconstitutional"
Source: Vox.com on 2021 SCOTUS ruling: "California v. Texas"
Jun 17, 2021
Page last updated: Dec 02, 2023