Single-payer advocates hold signs at the House Budget Committee's hearing on Medicare for All on May 22, 2019. (Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images)
Undermining Right-Wing Attack, Poll Shows Most Americans With Employer-Provided Insurance Support Moving to Medicare for All
"You know how some 2020 Democrats have been claiming that most Americans would never be OK with replacing their private insurance with Medicare for All? Well...this new poll destroys their argument."
A Business Insider poll published Thursday found that most Americans with employer-sponsored health coverage support switching over to Medicare for All, undermining the right-wing narrative that the U.S. public is wedded to private insurance plans.
"One more time for the people in the back: nobody loves Aetna. They just want dependable, quality healthcare. And we're going to give it to them."
--Alex Jacquez, policy adviser to Sen. Bernie Sanders
The survey showed that 59 percent of respondents who have employer-provided insurance "said they would support switching their employer-based health insurance to a government plan under Medicare for All" as long as quality of coverage would remain the same or improve.
As Common Dreams reported last week, former Vice President Joe Biden, Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio), and other corporate Democratic presidential candidates claim Americans are afraid of giving up their employer-provided plans in favor of Medicare for All.
David Sirota, speechwriter for Sen. Bernie Sanders's 2020 Democratic presidential campaign, said the Business Insider survey "destroys" that business-friendly line of attack against Medicare for All, which would expand Medicare to provide comprehensive and generous health coverage to everyone in the U.S.
The poll also found that Americans on government-run healthcare plans such as Medicare and Medicaid are more satisfied with their coverage than those on employer-sponsored plans, which have soared in cost over the past two decades.
According to Business Insider, 57 percent of respondents on government plans said they "love" their coverage. Just 41 percent of those with employer-provided plans said the same.
"One more time for the people in the back: nobody loves Aetna," tweeted Alex Jacquez, policy adviser to Sanders. "They just want dependable, quality healthcare. And we're going to give it to them."
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. In a few short weeks, US voters will have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. Our Fall Campaign is underway, and we need your help. To power our newsroom through the rest of the year, we need to raise $125,000 by midnight on October 31. So if you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
A Business Insider poll published Thursday found that most Americans with employer-sponsored health coverage support switching over to Medicare for All, undermining the right-wing narrative that the U.S. public is wedded to private insurance plans.
"One more time for the people in the back: nobody loves Aetna. They just want dependable, quality healthcare. And we're going to give it to them."
--Alex Jacquez, policy adviser to Sen. Bernie Sanders
The survey showed that 59 percent of respondents who have employer-provided insurance "said they would support switching their employer-based health insurance to a government plan under Medicare for All" as long as quality of coverage would remain the same or improve.
As Common Dreams reported last week, former Vice President Joe Biden, Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio), and other corporate Democratic presidential candidates claim Americans are afraid of giving up their employer-provided plans in favor of Medicare for All.
David Sirota, speechwriter for Sen. Bernie Sanders's 2020 Democratic presidential campaign, said the Business Insider survey "destroys" that business-friendly line of attack against Medicare for All, which would expand Medicare to provide comprehensive and generous health coverage to everyone in the U.S.
The poll also found that Americans on government-run healthcare plans such as Medicare and Medicaid are more satisfied with their coverage than those on employer-sponsored plans, which have soared in cost over the past two decades.
According to Business Insider, 57 percent of respondents on government plans said they "love" their coverage. Just 41 percent of those with employer-provided plans said the same.
"One more time for the people in the back: nobody loves Aetna," tweeted Alex Jacquez, policy adviser to Sanders. "They just want dependable, quality healthcare. And we're going to give it to them."
A Business Insider poll published Thursday found that most Americans with employer-sponsored health coverage support switching over to Medicare for All, undermining the right-wing narrative that the U.S. public is wedded to private insurance plans.
"One more time for the people in the back: nobody loves Aetna. They just want dependable, quality healthcare. And we're going to give it to them."
--Alex Jacquez, policy adviser to Sen. Bernie Sanders
The survey showed that 59 percent of respondents who have employer-provided insurance "said they would support switching their employer-based health insurance to a government plan under Medicare for All" as long as quality of coverage would remain the same or improve.
As Common Dreams reported last week, former Vice President Joe Biden, Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio), and other corporate Democratic presidential candidates claim Americans are afraid of giving up their employer-provided plans in favor of Medicare for All.
David Sirota, speechwriter for Sen. Bernie Sanders's 2020 Democratic presidential campaign, said the Business Insider survey "destroys" that business-friendly line of attack against Medicare for All, which would expand Medicare to provide comprehensive and generous health coverage to everyone in the U.S.
The poll also found that Americans on government-run healthcare plans such as Medicare and Medicaid are more satisfied with their coverage than those on employer-sponsored plans, which have soared in cost over the past two decades.
According to Business Insider, 57 percent of respondents on government plans said they "love" their coverage. Just 41 percent of those with employer-provided plans said the same.
"One more time for the people in the back: nobody loves Aetna," tweeted Alex Jacquez, policy adviser to Sanders. "They just want dependable, quality healthcare. And we're going to give it to them."