If you needed any evidence that those of us who claimed the end game was to get rid of private insurance companies, you now have it. Bernie Sanders was on MSNBC, and the host asked: “Senator, how frustrating is this for you to see the bill tied up in a constitutional argument when the provisions that could have been in place, like the public option and other versions of the legislation that were rejected early on by the Democrat leadership, would not have posed any constitutional difficulties?”
Mr. Sanders responded “One of the ways I want to see it improved is to give states flexibility to provide health care to all people, maintaining very, very high standards but doing it in a more cost effective way. And in the state of Vermont, we are moving forward toward a Medicare for all single-payer system. And I hope very much to be able to get waivers from Congress and the White House in order to allow us to do so. Because I think at the end of the day if you’re gonna provide health care to all of our people in a cost effective way you’re gonna have to get rid of the private health insurance companies and put our money into health care, not profiteering, not administration, not bureaucracy.”
Mr. Sanders, instead of getting rid of, as you call it, profiteering, administration, and bureaucracy, you will instead get a bureaucracy that has no cost constraints, is politicized, is not responsible to anyone, can not be fired, and will reduce the quality of care. The healthcare insurance industry has a profit margin of only 6 percent.
Sorry, but I’ll stick with the private insurers. I can fire one and go to another anytime I want. Can’t do that when the government is in charge.