The Future Of US Healthcare. Democratic Perspective welcomes Dave Kendall, Senior Fellow for Health and Fiscal Policy for the Third Way, to discuss the pandemic and universal healthcare. Kendall was author of most, if not all, of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), aka Obamacare.
We begin by asking about the Trump administration’s response to the coronavirus pandemic. He says it was one of the worst responses in the world. “It could have been a lot better,” he states. “We had a plan. Trump had thrown the plan away. But we can do this. It’s not hard technology. That’s where we need to start with healthcare.”
(NOTE: WE EXPERIENCED SOME EARLY TECHNICAL ISSUES. BE PATIENT. THE DISCUSSION IS INFORMATIVE AND REWARDING.)
As for making healthcare available to all Americans, Kendall says, “I think the Democratic party is united on that everyone should have access to healthcare. The ACA has proven successful. People get that it protected them for pre-existing conditions…we have an opportunity to make the case that Democrats have taken the lead on healthcare. The Medicare for All movement has been good to expose some of the problems. Wage increases are going to healthcare right now. For a typical worker, it takes 6 weeks to pay off the deductibles. We can take the next steps. Cut the costs and cover everyone.”
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