Socialist firebrand argues for ‘Medicare for all’ in Bloomington talk
That's according to
"Medicare for all is the first step to health justice," Faust told The Pantagraph Wednesday night during a break in a
Faust, a socialist firebrand and co-host of the podcast "Heavy Medical," delivered his prepared remarks in a spirited, rapid-fire manner before taking questions and comments from a supportive but quieter audience of about 30 people.
"Single-payer is moral, single-payer is necessary and single-payer is achievable," Faust said, pounding on a lectern.
Americans pay more for health care than any other country in the world but we aren't the healthiest, he said. Infant mortality and maternal mortality are high and life expectancy is low compared with other wealthy countries and those rates are worse for the poor and minority groups, he added.
Faust, who lives in
When people can't afford health care, they put it off, meaning minor problems can become life-threatening, he said.
"America is the most dangerous place to be sick," he yelled. "That sucks, so what do you do?"
The Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) did some good but didn't go far enough, he said.
He called for Medicare for all, in which everyone is covered by one health insurance program administered by the federal government.
"Care won't be dictated by an insurer because everyone's care is covered by Medicare," he said.
Asked by The Pantagraph about the cost, which opponents of Medicare for all have put at
Medicare for all would be a single-payer system that would eliminate that "waste" and provide the first step to equal access to health care for everyone, he said.
He steered away from endorsing a specific bill or member of
He called Medicare for all the "first attack."
"We must aim for the heart of capitalism," he said.
Earlier,
"Medicare is popular right now because it's a well-run program," she said. "We want to expand it. I think, in the next five years, we'll get to a single-payer system."
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