Rep. Cole: Medicare for None
Last week, the
While not unheard of, it is certainly unusual for the Rules Committee to conduct legislative hearings. During most weeks, the committee serves as the last stop for major legislation before it can go to the House floor for consideration and a vote. Usually, members of the committee are focused on setting the terms of debate, including how much time is allowed and whether any additional amendments can be brought up or accepted on the floor. While I was tapped to serve as the top Republican on the committee this
So why did a committee that typically guides procedure conduct such a consequential hearing? I suspect the recent use of the "Speaker's Committee" was intended to signal to the American people what is most important to Speaker Pelosi and the Democratic majority in the House. That suspicion is confirmed since the Rules Committee can only claim jurisdiction over one page of the 120-page bill. On the other hand, other House committees are much more relevant to weighing in and considering the
Considered alone, the title sounds promising. After all, Medicare is a popular program among current recipients across the country. Unfortunately, the socialist proposal would really lead to a government takeover of the nation's health care system - requiring all Americans to pay more in taxes, wait longer for care and receive potentially worse care. Moreover, it would put current Medicare recipients at risk.
While it's uncertain how much the specific legislation would cost taxpayers or how
Aside from the staggering cost, Medicare for All would cause more than 158 million Americans to lose their current coverage. In fact, private health insurance would be completely banned. That means anyone with private, employer-based or union-based health insurance would lose their plans in place of the government's one-size-fits-all coverage. Even if you like your plan, there's no question that you really can't keep it.
As Medicare is structured now, current recipients and Medicare Advantage plan holders are by and large satisfied with the health care they receive. However, the existing Medicare system would be at risk since millions of new recipients - who have not paid into the program in the same way as current recipients - would be enrolled. The influx would reduce the quality of services and force longer wait times. In addition, the popular Medicare Advantage program - used by approximately 22 million Americans - would be eliminated. For current Medicare recipients, "Medicare for All" really means "Medicare for None."
While it might sound appealing to pursue what sounds like the be all end all,
In the days ahead, I do hope
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