Sen. Elizabeth Warren was repeatedly pressed to provide real numbers to support her “Medicare for All” plan and she finally delivered, but the stunning figures drew more backlash.
The Massachusetts Democrat and 2020 contender could hardly even defend the plan which she admitted during a New Hampshire Public Radio forum this week would lead to about 2 million lost jobs.
(Video: YouTube/New Hampshire Public radio)
Warren was asked about an estimate that her proposal would lead to millions of Americans in the health industry losing their jobs by NHPR’s Casey McDermott.
“An economist at the University of Massachusetts Amherst told Kaiser Health News earlier this year that could result in about 2 million jobs lost,” she said.
“He said those would be mostly administrative positions and insurers, doctor’s offices, and he said the politicians who want to move toward that system, Medicare for All, have to think about what a quote ‘just transition, a fair transition’ would look like,” McDermott added, asking the Democratic candidate, “What would that look like for you?”
“So I agree,” Warren said. “I think this is part of the cost issue. And should be part of a cost plan.”
“Although do recognize on this what we were talking about, and that is, in effect, how much of our healthcare dollars have not gone to healthcare,” the lawmaker continued. “How many of those dollars have been pulled out in other directions.”
She criticized for-profit insurance which she characterized as being in favor of denying care in order to make a profit.
“That’s just not a sustainable healthcare system,” Warren said.
There was no process to address the huge job loss her plan would trigger in a release by Warren on Friday.
Today, I’m releasing my plan to pay for #MedicareForAll. Here’s the headline: My plan won’t raise taxes one penny on middle-class families. In fact, we’ll return about $11 TRILLION to the American people. That’s bigger than the biggest tax cut in our history. Here’s how:
— Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) November 1, 2019
Health care costs are rising and crushing families. And a serious diagnosis can financially ruin a middle-class family even if they have insurance. We let private insurance and drug companies profit from that pain. Enough. We need a system that reflects our values.
— Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) November 1, 2019
#MedicareForAll finally brings true choice to the health care system. The choice to see the doctor you want, to get the prescriptions you need, pick the job or start that small business you want without worrying about where your health insurance will come from.
— Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) November 1, 2019
And while Warren announced “Let’s get to the math!” in a series of tweets Friday, she still did not provide any concrete process to mitigate the loss of about 2 million jobs.
The report cited in the forum discussion did address the potential job losses, suggesting “up to three years of salary and help in retraining for another profession.”
To cover the cost, we start by taking the money that employers are currently paying in the form of premiums to private insurance companies and have them pay it to Medicare instead.
— Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) November 1, 2019
Warren also claimed that her campaign was the only one to reveal the “true, full costs” of the plan, estimated to cost an eye-popping $52 trillion.
I am fighting for #MedicareForAll. I have the only detailed plan to pay for it. And we are the only Democratic primary campaign that has laid out the true, full costs of any health care plan, Medicare for All or otherwise. I look forward to others doing the same.
— Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) November 1, 2019
The plan would see new tax increases to pay for it, with $20 trillion in taxes on employers, financial institutions and corporations.
Twitter users slammed the Democrat for the “lunacy” of her proposed plan and the lack of any remedies to offset the negative impacts which Warren claimed were “part of the cost issue,” and “should be part of a cost plan.”
“$52 trillion and you won’t see a tax hike. In fact, you’ll get money back!!”
Honestly, anyone who believes that is too stupid to vote. Or drive a car. Or feed themselves. https://t.co/WB3u2W3odr
— Jesse Kelly (@JesseKellyDC) November 1, 2019
“Just under $52 trillion.” These people are off their trolley. https://t.co/hUsPHWPW35
— Charles C. W. Cooke (@charlescwcooke) November 1, 2019
This plan would cost about a trillion dollars a year more than the entire federal budget right now!!!!! Yet wouldn’t cost the overwhelming majority of the population a penny more???? This is lunacy. https://t.co/LxT6AnYypA
— ConservativeBlackMan ???? (@NevilleD35) November 1, 2019
In other words, the last giant health care plan Democrats forced down your throat was an utter disaster, but they can fix it if you just give them half the GDP of the entire planet to play with https://t.co/0mCRPkyNE2
— John Hayward (@Doc_0) November 1, 2019
People say the socialists want to turn America into Venezuela, but with Warren it’s more like Zimbabwe. We’ll conjure $52 trillion out of thin air without raising taxes by printing money! Oh, BTW, a loaf of bread will cost $1000. https://t.co/0mCRPkyNE2
— John Hayward (@Doc_0) November 1, 2019
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