As ‘Medicare For All’ Gains Popularity, Health Industry Quietly Assembles Small Army Of Lobbyists To Try To Kill It

The lobbyists are pushing the message that the health law is working for the most part and that Americans like their private insurance plans and want to keep them. The health groups are nervous that the "Medicare for All" movement could upend their industry. Meanwhile, in a crowd of progressives, how do candidates stand out from the pack on health care? And Democrats on Capitol Hill struggle to find common ground on big problems.

The New York Times: Health Care And Insurance Industries Mobilize To Kill ‘Medicare For All’

Even before Democrats finish drafting bills to create a single-payer health care system, the health care and insurance industries have assembled a small army of lobbyists to kill “Medicare for all,” an idea that is mocked publicly but is being greeted privately with increasing seriousness. Doctors, hospitals, drug companies and insurers are intent on strangling Medicare for all before it advances from an aspirational slogan to a legislative agenda item. They have hired a top lieutenant in Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign to spearhead the effort. And their tactics will show Democrats what they are up against as the party drifts to the left on health care. (Pear, 2/23)

The Associated Press: Many Shades Of Meaning Behind 'Medicare-For-All'

"Medicare-for-all" can mean different things to different people. For some, it's a single government-run health insurance plan for the whole country. To others, it's giving consumers a choice to buy into Medicare or keep their private insurance. But whatever the form, the proposals are built on the premise that health insurance should be a guaranteed right. (Alonso-Zaldivar, 2/22)

NPR: Beyond 'Bumper Sticker' Slogans: 2020 Democrats Debate Details Of Medicare-For-All

Bernie Sanders is back, but one of his signature policies never left. In 2015, he introduced Medicare-for-all to many Democrats for the first time. Since Sanders' first run for president, that type of single-payer health care system has become a mainstream Democratic proposal. Last week, Sanders launched his second presidential campaign, amid a field of presidential candidates who are trying to figure out how to position themselves around the policy. (Kurtzleben, 2/25)

The Hill: Dems Face Internal Battle Over Budget

Democrats say they broadly agree about addressing problems like climate change, health care, infrastructure and immigration. Where they differ is the scale of the solution. ... Health care is a key example. At the request of the CPC, [House Budget Committee Chairman Rep. John] Yarmuth has agreed to hold hearings on Medicare for all in the spring. He is also planning hearings on the economic cost of climate change. Even if the 2020 budget doesn’t include Medicare for all in its entirety, progressives want it to carve out a path forward. (Elis, 2/24)

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