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<\/p>\nSenator Joe Manchin (D-West Virginia) is looking at a Canadian style single payer system.<\/p>\n
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It\u2019s the second time in a month that Manchin has told constituents that he\u2019s looking at a Medicare for all system to replace an unraveling Obamneycare.<\/p>\n
Manchin has been clear that he will vote against the emerging Trumpcare\/Ryancare that will balloon the ranks of the uninsured from 30 million under Obamneycare to 50 million.<\/p>\n
A single payer system would leave zero people uninsured.<\/p>\n
Under single payer, every citizen gets a birth certificate and a Medicare card at birth.<\/p>\n
The United States pays per capita more than two and a half times more than industrialized countries with single payer systems.<\/p>\n
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At a town hall meeting in Martinsburg, West Virginia today, more than 200 people jammed the Robert Byrd Science Center.<\/p>\n
Almost a quarter of the twenty or so questioners called on Manchin to get behind single payer.<\/p>\n
HR 676 \u2013 the single payer bill in the House \u2013 has 65 co-sponsors. No Senator has introduced a similar bill in the Senate.<\/p>\n
And by their reactions to single payer questions, the majority in the room wanted Manchin to sponsor a single payer bill in the Senate.<\/p>\n
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\u201cI\u2019m studying the whole Canadian system,\u201d Manchin told Dr. Catherine Feaga of Shepherdstown, West Virginia after Dr. Feaga asked Manchin a question about the single payer system. \u201cThe Canadian system has better results longevity-wise, more wellness. But boy I tell you one thing. They make you toe the line. They don\u2019t give you everything you want. They don\u2019t give it to you when you want it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNeither does our system,\u201d one person yelled.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s much different what we have today,\u201d Manchin said. \u201cIn Canada, if you abuse it, you lose it. They are not going to let you come every day to a doctor.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThey don\u2019t let you come every day to a doctor here,\u201d yelled another attendee.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are open to all of these things,\u201d Manchin responded.<\/p>\n
When a citizen challenged Manchin about his corporate contributions affecting how he votes, Manchin said \u2013 \u201cmoney doesn\u2019t affect how I vote.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut you have taken close to $300,000 from the pharmaceutical industry and $200,000 from the insurance industry over your career in the Senate,\u201d the questioner said. \u201cMaybe that is the reason why you haven\u2019t introduced a single payer bill in the Senate.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBernie Sanders hasn\u2019t introduced it in the Senate either \u2013 why hasn\u2019t Bernie introduced it?\u201d Manchin shot back.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know enough about single payer,\u201d Manchin said. \u201cBut I\u2019ll say this \u2013 I want the same quality of life that Canada has. I want the same longevity.\u201d<\/p>\n
When Manchin questioned whether a single payer system would cost more than what we are paying now, Lynn Yellott responded that according to a Commonwealth Fund study, 95 percent of Americans would pay less money than they do now \u2013 in terms of co-pays, deductibles and insurance premiums.<\/p>\n
\u201cI provided your staff last week with a financial analysis of HR 676,\u201d Yellott told Manchin after Manchin said \u2013 \u201cI don\u2019t know enough about single payer.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI hope that you will take a close look at it,\u201d Yellott told Manchin.<\/p>\n
The session ended with questions from two citizens who spoke in favor of a single payer system.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe German health care system took me in — everybody had coverage, no matter what their background, how much money they made,\u201d said one man who identified himself as a veteran. \u201cAnd it was effective. Everyone was in the system.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m open to everything and anything,\u201d Manchin said.<\/p>\n
The last questioner told Manchin that he should take some of the money he has taken from the pharmaceutical industry and “build us a long-term opiate treatment facility in Martinsburg.”<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need some of that money you got from the pharmaceutical industry and build us a long term treatment facility,\u201d the man said, who identified himself as a heroin survivor. \u201cWrite the check right now and build us a rehab facility. We know you\u2019ve got the money. You took it from the pharmaceutical industry.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Senator Joe Manchin (D-West Virginia) is looking at a Canadian style single payer system. It\u2019s the second time in a month that Manchin has told constituents that he\u2019s looking at a Medicare for all system to replace an unraveling Obamneycare. … Continue reading