If United States Provided Health Care To Undocumented Immigrants It Would Be An Outlier Even Among Progressive Countries
Countries with government-run, universal health care often still place tough restrictions on providing that care for immigrants in the country illegally. Yet the idea is a popular one among the 2020 Democratic candidates. The New York Times looks at what would be involved in implementing the policy. In other news from the campaign trail: former Vice President Joe Biden promises to bring back the individual mandate if he's elected, the complexities of "Medicare for All" continue to divide candidates and more.
The New York Times:
What Would Giving Health Care To Undocumented Immigrants Mean?
Providing comprehensive health coverage to undocumented immigrants has long been nothing more than a wouldn’t-it-be-nice item on the far left’s wish list. But in the crowded field of candidates vying for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, nearly everyone supports it. Almost all of the 19 candidates who responded to a recent New York Times survey on health care positions said “yes” to a question about whether undocumented immigrants should be covered under a “Medicare for all” system, a public option or other government health programs. And during the second night of the Democratic debates last week, the idea received a unanimous show of hands in support. (Hoffman, 7/3)
The Hill:
Biden On Health Care For Undocumented Migrants: How Do You Say, 'I'm Gonna Let You Die'
Undocumented immigrants should have access to healthcare, former Vice President Joe Biden said in a CNN interview released Friday. “I think undocumented people need to have a means by which they can be covered when they’re sick,” he said in a CNN interview, adding, “This is just common decency.” “In an emergency they should have health care. Everybody should,” he added. "How do you say 'You're undocumented, I'm gonna let you die, man?'" (Frazin, 7/5)
The Hill:
Biden Says He Would Bring Back ObamaCare's Individual Mandate
Former Vice President Joe Biden said in an interview that aired Friday on CNN that he would bring back ObamaCare's individual mandate if he is elected president. "Yes, I'd bring back the individual mandate," Biden told CNN's Chris Cuomo on Thursday. The mandate, which is a financial penalty in the Affordable Care Act for Americans who don't have health insurance, was the main target of Republicans for years in their attempts to repeal Obama's signature health care law. (Manchester, 7/5)
CNBC:
Joe Biden Vows To Bring Back Obamacare Individual Mandate Penalty
Nearly all of the Democratic presidential hopefuls support some kind of government health-care plan. While he does not support of “Medicare for All,” Biden said people should have the option to buy into Medicare if they want it. “If you provide an option for anybody who in fact wants to buy into Medicare for All, they can buy in,” the Democratic presidential front-runner said. (Bursztynsky, 7/5)
Bloomberg:
Kamala Harris Says ‘Medicare For All’ Wouldn’t End Private Insurance. It Would
Kamala Harris says she supports “Medicare for All,” and she has cosponsored legislation with Bernie Sanders. But unlike her Democratic presidential rival, she says the plan wouldn’t end private insurance. That’s misleading. The measure would outlaw all private insurance for medically necessary services but allow a sliver to remain for supplemental coverage. It would force the roughly 150 million Americans who are insured through their employer to switch to a government-run program. (Kapur, 7/5)
The Hill:
Delaney: Medicare For All Proponents Have 'Hijacked The Good Name Of Medicare'
Former Rep. John Delaney (D-Md.) on Sunday blasted his fellow Democratic presidential candidates’ support of Medicare for All proposals, saying the voters “will reject” them. “This is [Sen.] Bernie Sanders’s [I-Vt.] plan, it will take private insurance away from half the people in this country,” Delaney said on CBS’s “Face the Nation,” adding that Democrats who support such proposals have “outsourced” health care policy to the Vermont senator. (Budryk, 7/7)
Politico:
Bernie Sanders Decries Planned Closing Of Philadelphia Hospital
Sen. Bernie Sanders on Sunday assailed the planned closure of a hospital in the battleground state of Pennsylvania, saying it demonstrates the failures of the country's greedy health care system. American Academic Health System CEO Joel Freedman said he "relentlessly pursued numerous strategic options" to keep the Philadelphia-based Hahnemann University Hospital open, but it "cannot continue to lose millions of dollars each month and remain in business." (Otterbein, 7/7)
