September 23, 2009

Many on the Right and even some on the Left have complained that Democratic bills for health-care reform, from Hillary Clinton’s to Barack Obama’s to those in the various Congressional Committees, are too complicated. Even John Stewart mocked the 1000-page bill.

Well, I, Mark Levine, can fix America’s health-care problems in one sentence.

And no, I’m not joking.

So now, without further ado, I present a one-sentence bill to resolve the health-care problem.

H.R. LEVINE
“Medicare for All”
Section 1: The current Medicare system shall be available to all Americans regardless of age.

That’s it!  The entire bill.  Ta-dum….

Here’s the beauty of it.

1.  Medicare is a known commodity, not some new-fangled thing the Republicans can create scare-tactics about (like “the public option” or “single-payer”).  And folks like it.  An astounding 94% of Americans on Medicare are satisfied with it.  (Poll: Suffolk University)

2.  Medicare is cheap.  My parents are both on Medicare and they pay 1/3 to 1/2 of what I do.  And I’m healthy (and relatively young).  So Medicare would help me if I could join it.

3.  Adding all of us under 65 would FIX Medicare’s financial problems.  Medicare currently takes care of the oldest and sickest among us and has a shortfall of funds.  But that’s because it charges so much less than private insurance and takes care of the most difficult health problems.  If young people joined Medicare and paid premiums, that would financially benefit Medicare because Medicare would take in more money and pay out less in health care bills (because young people, on average, are healthier than the elderly).  So I would help Medicare if I could join it.

Win-Win

When younger Americans join Medicare, they get a sharp discount in their insurance.

When younger Americans join Medicare, Medicare makes a sharp profit.

Sure it’s functionally the same thing as single-payer.  (Shhhhhhh….that’s our little secret.)  But Medicare for All helps everyone, from the elderly (who benefit from a financially-stronger Medicare that can pay for their needs) to Americans under 65 (who get cheaper insurance) to doctors, medical professionals, hospitals, and even drug companies (who get more patients, including those who are currently uninsured and underinsured because they can’t afford health care) to the insurance companies (who….ooops…guess it doesn’t benefit the insurance companies who would lose a lot of their profits.)

Oh well, 6 out of 7 ain’t bad.  Sorry insurance companies.

What do you think?

Any comments on the Mark-Levine One-Sentence Bill to Reform Health Care?

Build me a movement and I’ll run for Congress.  🙂