An elderly patient wearing a mask is seen being wheeled out of an ambulance at Bellevue Hospital in New York City on March 30, 2020. (Photo: John Nacion/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Apr 01, 2020
Support for Medicare for All among U.S. voters has reached a nine-month high in a Morning Consult/Politico tracking poll as the deadly and ongoing coronavirus pandemic lays bare the horrors and systemic inefficiencies of America's profit-driven healthcare system.
The survey (pdf), released Wednesday, found that 55 percent of U.S. voters support Medicare for All, a nine-point jump since February. While support for Medicare for All is highest among Democratic voters at 75%, a majority of Independents--52%--also support the policy, along with 31% of Republicans.
"We must transform our dysfunctional healthcare system."
--Sen. Bernie Sanders
Morning Consult's Yusra Murad wrote that the poll, conducted between March 27-29, "suggests progressive lawmakers may have an opportunity to sway key demographics--support for Medicare for All grew among people in the $50,000-$100,000 income bracket, voters between 45 and 54 years old, and black voters by roughly 10 points each."
"With the discussion of enacting a universal healthcare system in the United States intensifying, 43 percent of voters say they are more likely to support reforms to grant all Americans health insurance from the government because of the coronavirus outbreak," Murad noted. "Notably, that support does not include the frontrunner in the Democratic presidential primary election--former Vice President Joe Biden."
As Common Dreams reported, Biden on Monday doubled down on his opposition to Medicare for All, telling MSNBC that single-payer healthcare would "not solve" the coronavirus crisis.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Biden's only remaining opponent in the Democratic presidential primary race, has repeatedly argued in recent weeks--alongside many other experts and advocates--that the coronavirus outbreak and the resulting economic meltdown bolsters the case for Medicare for All, the Vermont senator's signature policy proposal.
Sanders' Medicare for All plan would provide everyone in the U.S. with comprehensive healthcare for free at the point of service and virtually eliminate the private insurance system which has left 80 million Americans uninsured or underinsured--a number that is rising rapidly as millions lose their jobs due to the coronavirus outbreak.
"How can it be that we spend 18% of our [gross domestic product] on healthcare--more than any other major country on Earth--but still lack the beds, masks, ventilators, gowns, gloves, and test kits we need to adequately respond to this crisis?" Sanders asked in a tweet on Wednesday.
"We must transform our dysfunctional healthcare system," said Sanders.
Join Us: News for people demanding a better world
Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place. We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference. Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Support for Medicare for All among U.S. voters has reached a nine-month high in a Morning Consult/Politico tracking poll as the deadly and ongoing coronavirus pandemic lays bare the horrors and systemic inefficiencies of America's profit-driven healthcare system.
The survey (pdf), released Wednesday, found that 55 percent of U.S. voters support Medicare for All, a nine-point jump since February. While support for Medicare for All is highest among Democratic voters at 75%, a majority of Independents--52%--also support the policy, along with 31% of Republicans.
"We must transform our dysfunctional healthcare system."
--Sen. Bernie Sanders
Morning Consult's Yusra Murad wrote that the poll, conducted between March 27-29, "suggests progressive lawmakers may have an opportunity to sway key demographics--support for Medicare for All grew among people in the $50,000-$100,000 income bracket, voters between 45 and 54 years old, and black voters by roughly 10 points each."
"With the discussion of enacting a universal healthcare system in the United States intensifying, 43 percent of voters say they are more likely to support reforms to grant all Americans health insurance from the government because of the coronavirus outbreak," Murad noted. "Notably, that support does not include the frontrunner in the Democratic presidential primary election--former Vice President Joe Biden."
As Common Dreams reported, Biden on Monday doubled down on his opposition to Medicare for All, telling MSNBC that single-payer healthcare would "not solve" the coronavirus crisis.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Biden's only remaining opponent in the Democratic presidential primary race, has repeatedly argued in recent weeks--alongside many other experts and advocates--that the coronavirus outbreak and the resulting economic meltdown bolsters the case for Medicare for All, the Vermont senator's signature policy proposal.
Sanders' Medicare for All plan would provide everyone in the U.S. with comprehensive healthcare for free at the point of service and virtually eliminate the private insurance system which has left 80 million Americans uninsured or underinsured--a number that is rising rapidly as millions lose their jobs due to the coronavirus outbreak.
"How can it be that we spend 18% of our [gross domestic product] on healthcare--more than any other major country on Earth--but still lack the beds, masks, ventilators, gowns, gloves, and test kits we need to adequately respond to this crisis?" Sanders asked in a tweet on Wednesday.
"We must transform our dysfunctional healthcare system," said Sanders.
Support for Medicare for All among U.S. voters has reached a nine-month high in a Morning Consult/Politico tracking poll as the deadly and ongoing coronavirus pandemic lays bare the horrors and systemic inefficiencies of America's profit-driven healthcare system.
The survey (pdf), released Wednesday, found that 55 percent of U.S. voters support Medicare for All, a nine-point jump since February. While support for Medicare for All is highest among Democratic voters at 75%, a majority of Independents--52%--also support the policy, along with 31% of Republicans.
"We must transform our dysfunctional healthcare system."
--Sen. Bernie Sanders
Morning Consult's Yusra Murad wrote that the poll, conducted between March 27-29, "suggests progressive lawmakers may have an opportunity to sway key demographics--support for Medicare for All grew among people in the $50,000-$100,000 income bracket, voters between 45 and 54 years old, and black voters by roughly 10 points each."
"With the discussion of enacting a universal healthcare system in the United States intensifying, 43 percent of voters say they are more likely to support reforms to grant all Americans health insurance from the government because of the coronavirus outbreak," Murad noted. "Notably, that support does not include the frontrunner in the Democratic presidential primary election--former Vice President Joe Biden."
As Common Dreams reported, Biden on Monday doubled down on his opposition to Medicare for All, telling MSNBC that single-payer healthcare would "not solve" the coronavirus crisis.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Biden's only remaining opponent in the Democratic presidential primary race, has repeatedly argued in recent weeks--alongside many other experts and advocates--that the coronavirus outbreak and the resulting economic meltdown bolsters the case for Medicare for All, the Vermont senator's signature policy proposal.
Sanders' Medicare for All plan would provide everyone in the U.S. with comprehensive healthcare for free at the point of service and virtually eliminate the private insurance system which has left 80 million Americans uninsured or underinsured--a number that is rising rapidly as millions lose their jobs due to the coronavirus outbreak.
"How can it be that we spend 18% of our [gross domestic product] on healthcare--more than any other major country on Earth--but still lack the beds, masks, ventilators, gowns, gloves, and test kits we need to adequately respond to this crisis?" Sanders asked in a tweet on Wednesday.
"We must transform our dysfunctional healthcare system," said Sanders.
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.