Sen. Michael Bennet suggested Monday that the “Medicare for All” proposals touted by many of his Democratic primary opponents may not be as popular as they seem, telling CNN that candidates should "be honest" with voters about the realities of such healthcare policies.
“When you tell people the first thing about ‘Medicare for All’ — either that it takes insurance away from 180 million Americans that have it through their employer or the taxes we would have to pay to afford that $30 trillion program — that 70 percent support falls to the mid-30s,” Bennet said on CNN's "New Day.
" “I think we need to level with the American people, be honest with them.”Asked if Democratic supporters of Medicare for All are being dishonest with voters, Bennet said "it depends who they are." He allowed that Sen. Bernie Sanders, a 2020 frontrunner and longtime champion of Medicare for All, is "leveling" with the public.
"I think Bernie Sanders believes it's exactly the right thing to do for the country," Bennet said. "He's believed it since 1973."
"You think he's wrong?" the CNN anchor followed-up.
"I think he's wrong, but I think he's leveling with the American people from his point of view," Bennet replied.
The moderate Colorado lawmaker became the 21st Democratic contender for the White House last week, when he announced his official bid less than a month after undergoing surgery to treat prostate cancer. In the same month, Bennet's daughter had an appendectomy — a one-two punch that Bennet said is why he supports “universal coverage.“
“For somebody without insurance, their whole family's livelihood and the future of their lives could have been completely disrupted by this.“ Bennet said. “And that happens to people every single day in America.“
Instead of a Medicare for All healthcare plan, the Colorado senator touted the “Medicare X” proposal he and Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.
) rolled out last month that would allow for a public healthcare option, modeled after Medicaid, to be made available alongside private insurance. The proposal “allows people to choose for their families what's best for them in terms of insurance and in terms of primary care,” Bennet said.Weighing in on the prospect of a single-payer health care system has become a litmus test of sorts for Democrats seeking the White House, one that highlights growing tensions within the party between its moderate and progressive wings.
But instead of pushing for a massive upheaval of the nation's healthcare system, Bennet said the priority should be on moving the country towards "universal coverage." A more moderate approach, he said, might earn bipartisan support.
“I think as long as what we're talking about is universal coverage, the question then becomes: How do we get there?” Bennet said. “Every single Democrat in this race believes that that should be our objective.”
Article originally published on POLITICO Magazine