For Democrats, a shift toward the middle on health care
While "Medicare for All" remains hugely popular, majorities say they'd prefer building on "Obamacare" to expand coverage instead of a new government program that replaces America's mix of private and public insurance.
Highlighted by a recent national poll, shifting views are echoed in interviews with voters and the evolving positions of Democratic presidential candidates on a proposal that months ago seemed to have growing momentum within their party. Several have endorsed an incremental approach rather than a government-run plan backed by Sens.
It could mean trouble for Sanders and his supporters, signaling a limit to how far Democratic voters are willing to move to the left and an underlying skepticism that Americans will back such a dramatic change to their health care.
"We hear Medicare for All, but I'm not absolutely certain what that means and what that would then mean for me," said Democrat
Dietrich, 74, has Medicare and supplements that with private insurance, an arrangement she said she's pretty comfortable with.
She thinks it's important that everyone has health care, not just those who can afford it. She said she would support Medicare for All if it was the only way to achieve that.
But "I don't think we can ever get it passed," Dietrich added.
"We've got to get some of these other people, these Republican voters, to come on over just to get rid of Trump," she said.
Democratic presidential candidates also have expressed skepticism.
In
Nationwide, 55% of
On a separate question, Democratic support for Medicare for All was a robust 72% in July, but that was down from 80% in April, a drop Kaiser says is statistically significant but not necessarily a definitive downward trend.
That said, Kaiser pollster
The Kaiser survey also found broad backing for the public-option alternative that moderates are touting, a government plan that would compete with but not replace private insurance. Eight-five percent of
Large increases in federal spending and a significant expansion of government power are often cited as arguments against Medicare for All. However, the main criticism
Ohio Rep.
In interviews with The Associated Press, union workers in
"I don't want to give up my health insurance. I've personally been involved in the fight to keep it," said Neanover, 44. "A lot of people have fought to have what we have today."
"That's one of the biggest things that I love about being in the union, is our quality health care," Palmira said.
Medicare for All backers say their plan has been unfairly portrayed.
"The shift in polling on Medicare for All is a direct result of mischaracterizations by opponents," said Rep.
People are most interested in keeping their own doctors, Khanna added, and Medicare for All would not interfere with that.
Longtime watchers of America's health care debate see new energy among
"The long-standing history of health reform is that people want to hang on to what they have," said
Nonetheless, she noted a common interest among
Alonso-Zaldivar reported from
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