President Trump’s Medicare director bashed Democrats’ embrace of expanding Medicare to all Americans, saying it will destroy the entitlement program.
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Director Seema Verma said that proponents of Medicare for All do not understand the ramifications of the move. Her comments at a speech in San Francisco before the Commonwealth Club Wednesday comes as Medicare for All is gaining traction among Democrats and progressive candidates ahead of the 2018 midterms.
Verma charged that expanding Medicare to everyone would expand the regulatory burden on healthcare providers and divert focus away from seniors who are the intended beneficiaries of the program.
“In essence Medicare for all would become Medicare for none,” she said. “By choosing a socialized system you are giving the government complete control over the decisions pertaining to your care or no care at all.”
“Medicare is a program to provide care to our most vulnerable, disabled and aging population that needs it,” she added.
But proponents of Medicare for All charged that healthcare is a right that should be extended to all Americans.
Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., has frequently sponsored a bill that would convert Medicare into a single payer, government-run system that would cover healthcare costs for all Americans.
Sanders has said that single payer would rein in healthcare spending as the government can be the sole payer of healthcare costs and can negotiate for lower prices.
The idea has gained traction among state and federal Democratic candidates in 2018, and not just in heavily blue districts.
An analysis from RealClearPolitics said that out of 24 swing district Democratic candidates who got through a primary, 17 of them support Medicare for All or an expansion of Obamacare that would eventually lead to universal care.
Actress Cynthia Nixon, who is challenging Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the New York gubernatorial race, called for Medicare for All on Tuesday.
“Every New Yorker can have good health care, with no copays and no deductibles. That’s why I’ll create a single payer, Medicare For All system,” she tweeted.
I believe health care is a fundamental human right. Yet many New Yorkers face skyrocketing costs and families continue to be uninsured.
Every New Yorker can have good health care, with no copays and no deductibles. That’s why I’ll create a single payer, Medicare For All system. pic.twitter.com/WUGK51KAHh
— Cynthia Nixon (@CynthiaNixon) July 24, 2018
