They can get you now, or get you later . . .

Fifteen senators, including 2020 hopefuls like Elizabeth Warren and Kamala Harris, are co-sponsoring Bernie Sanders’ single-payer health care bill. But even some of those not signing on have plans to eventually convert the country to single payer.

On today’s Morning Joe, Dem Senator Chris Murphy [CT] described his plan, which Politico has called “stealthy single-payer.” Under it, people would be given the option of buying into Medicare or remaining with private insurance. Murphy expressed the belief that:

“Given that choice, consumers would choose Medicare, and it would allow for almost a more natural transitioning to a single-payer system.”

So, in contrast with Sanders’ proposal for radical change, Murphy proposes a more insidious plan, in which Americans would be gradually seduced into giving up control over their health care to the government.

Note: Murphy began by saying that given the chance to design the health care system from scratch, he’d design a single-payer system. His justification is that “it makes absolutely no sense, logically, to tie people’s health insurance to their employer.”

Murphy’s right that tying people’s health care to their employer makes no sense. That came about decades ago when a provision of the tax code was adopted by which the value of health care benefits provided by employers was not treated as taxable income by employees. Thus, it made sense for employers to provide health insurance, rather than increasing employees’ wages to cover the cost of private insurance.

By why is the only solution that Murphy sees to that situation to subject every American to government-controlled health care? Would he also favor single-payer food care, in which everyone had to shop for “free” in government supermarkets? Why not instead greatly decrease government’s role in health care, and let insurers and providers vigorously compete? That’s the situation when it comes to food, and the result is fabulous variety and choice at reasonable prices.

WILLIE GEIST: Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut. Senator Murphy is working on a bill being described as a bridge to single-payer health care. Senator, good morning. So what does that mean? A bridge to single-payer health care? Are you for single payer or against it? CHRIS MURPHY: So, I’ve always said that if I was to design the American health care system from scratch, I’d design a single-payer system. It makes absolutely no sense, logically, to tie people’s health insurance to their employer. I think we’re having a really important conversation about how we get there. So Senator Sanders is going to introduce a bill today that I’ll take a hard look at. And I’ve introduced a different concept which is to allow every American to be able to buy into Medicare and essentially allow consumers to decide whether they want private insurance or Medicare. My belief is that given that choice, consumers would choose Medicare, and it would allow for almost a more natural transitioning to a single-payer system.



