Biden scoffs at idea that Medicare-for-all bill could pass the House or Senate


Medicare-for-all was once again the hot topic early in Wednesday's Democratic primary debate, with Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and former Vice President Joe Biden sparring on the best way to ensure all Americans have health care.
Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), the proud author of "the damn bill" that would establish Medicare-for-all, said there are candidates who do not believe in taking on the insurance and pharmaceutical industries, but "now is the time." He vowed that in the first week of a Sanders administration, "we will introduce Medicare-for-all. Medicare-for-all, that means no deductibles, no co-payments, no out-of-pocket expenses."
Biden responded that it won't be that easy to enact. "Right now, the vast majority of Democrats do not support Medicare-for-all," he said. "It couldn't pass the United States Senate right now with Democrats. It couldn't pass the House." House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) is skeptical of the plan, and the best move forward would be to "build on Obamacare," Biden said.
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There are 160 million people who like their private insurance, he continued, and "if they don't like it, they can buy into a Medicare-like proposal in my plan. Drug prices go down, premiums go down across the board. But here's the deal: They get to choose."
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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
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