Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Town Hall Audience Erupts In Cheers When Asked About Support For Sanders' 'Medicare For All' Plan
The Hill: Sanders Town Hall Audience Cheers After Fox News Host Asks If They'd Support 'Medicare For All'
The audience at a Fox News town hall erupted in cheers and applause when asked by moderator Bret Baier if they would support Sen. Bernie Sanders's (I-Vt.) "Medicare for All" proposal. "I want to ask the audience a question here. ... How many are willing to transition to what the senator says, a government-run system?" Baier asked before the crowd burst into cheers. (Seipel, 4/15)
Huffpost: A 'Medicare For All' Question Backfired At Bernie Sanders’ Fox News Town Hall
Given the opportunity to elaborate on why he was not concerned about requiring people to supplant their private insurance with Medicare for All, Sanders noted that people often switch insurers involuntarily when they change jobs or when an employer switches to a different plan. “This is not new,” he said. Of course, a single town hall audience is not necessarily representative of national public opinion. In recent years, Medicare for All ― single-payer health care ― has attained majority support in national polls. But a January poll showed that support for the idea dropped significantly when people learned that it would require them to give up their private insurance. (Marans, 4/15)
Des Moines Register: Election 2020: Presidential Candidates Split On 'Medicare For All'
Straining to speak over the lively happy hour crowd at Backpocket Brewing, former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper acknowledged he receives “a lot of heat” on the campaign trail when it comes to health care. Hickenlooper is among a handful of presidential candidates opposed to the growing chorus of Democrats pushing for “Medicare for All,” a plan to expand the national health care program for seniors to all Americans. The plan would replace virtually all private insurance plans with government coverage. (Hardy and Fleig, 4/15)
