Former Rep. John Delaney went after Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont over his “Medicare for all” plan during Tuesday’s Democratic debate.
“Under Medicare for All, the hospitals will save substantial sums of money because they’re not going to be spending a fortune doing billing and the other bureaucratic things they have to do today,” Sanders said, before Delaney cut in to reject his claim, saying, “I’ve done the math.”
Delaney, who supports allowing people to keep their private insurers, was allowed to clarify what he meant regarding the math.
“Listen his math is wrong. That’s all I’m saying. That his math is wrong. It’s been well documented that if all the bills were paid at Medicare rate, … then many hospitals in this country would close,” Delaney hit back. “I’ve been going around rural America and I ask rural hospital administrators one question, if all your bills were paid at the Medicare rate last year, what would happen? And they all look at me and say we would close.
“But the question is, ‘Why do we have to be so extreme?’ Why can’t we just give everyone healthcare as a right, and allow them to have choices?” The former congressman from Maryland added.
