The running assumption behind most attacks against "medicare for all" or other universal health care schemes that involve ending or severely curtailing the private insurance market is that a lot of Americans like the health insurance they have and don't want to replace it with someone else. But I don't see how it is possible to interact with a health insurance company in America without despising that company. I don't think anyone actually likes their private health insurance policy. But most people who have private insurance are terrified that if they give up the shitty insurance they have they will end up with something worse and then they'd really be screwed.
If you want to sell the American public on Medicare for all, you need to address that fear directly. Talk about how comprehensive Medicare for some (i.e. current medicare) is, and bring up how shitty private insurance, even really good private insurance, inevitably is. Talk about co-premiums, co-payments, deductibles, caps on coverage, the limitations of the in-network/out-of-network system, and how, under the current system, the great majority of Americans are one highway accident away from bankruptcy and financial ruin.
The craziest thing about every "universal health insurance" debate we have had in this country is that many of the scare tactics by the insurance industry to get people to reject reform describe flaws in the current health care system. Afraid you won't be able to choose your own doctor? You can't choose your own doctor now if you have private insurance! I can only go to doctors who are in-network, and I can only see a specialist if that pre-approve primary care physician refers me. At any moment, my insurance carrier could decide to drop by doctor from their network and I'd be forced to either change doctors or risk losing coverage if I continue to visit her.
People are afraid of change because they can see what they have to lose and not what they could possible gain. Talk up the costs of the current system, and the benefits of your new shiny system and maybe that will get some traction.
If you want to sell the American public on Medicare for all, you need to address that fear directly. Talk about how comprehensive Medicare for some (i.e. current medicare) is, and bring up how shitty private insurance, even really good private insurance, inevitably is. Talk about co-premiums, co-payments, deductibles, caps on coverage, the limitations of the in-network/out-of-network system, and how, under the current system, the great majority of Americans are one highway accident away from bankruptcy and financial ruin.
The craziest thing about every "universal health insurance" debate we have had in this country is that many of the scare tactics by the insurance industry to get people to reject reform describe flaws in the current health care system. Afraid you won't be able to choose your own doctor? You can't choose your own doctor now if you have private insurance! I can only go to doctors who are in-network, and I can only see a specialist if that pre-approve primary care physician refers me. At any moment, my insurance carrier could decide to drop by doctor from their network and I'd be forced to either change doctors or risk losing coverage if I continue to visit her.
People are afraid of change because they can see what they have to lose and not what they could possible gain. Talk up the costs of the current system, and the benefits of your new shiny system and maybe that will get some traction.
