Medicare Extra

FULL DISCLOSURE: Since June 2019, I've been contracted with the Center for American Progress to provide healthcare data analysis & advocacy on their behalf on a part-time basis.

UPDATE: My contract with CAP ended on Nov. 30th, 2020 (on a positive note--I knew going in it was a temporary arrangement and enjoyed working with them).

NOTE: This is not an in-depth analysis, for three reasons:

• First, I already wrote my analysis of the plan itself a year and a half ago, as well as of the very similar "Medicare for America" bill which it inspired a few months ago;

• Second, because Ezra Klein of Vox.com already wrote something which covers most of the basics this morning;

• Third, I have a bit of a personal/household crisis to deal with this week (don't worry...no one's sick, dead or getting divorced, but our house is in need of some serious attention)

If you've been reading my site for more than a couple of years, you know that back in February 2018 I fell in love (well, mostly) with a new Universal Healthcare Coverage proposal from the Center for American Progress called "Medicare Extra for All" or simply "Medicare Extra".

With the 2019 Open Enrollment Period starts in less than 24 hours, it probably isn't the best timing for this, but with the elections also coming up in just six days, perhaps it is.

Axios just published a new national survey via SurveyMonkey which asks two simple but important questions:

• Generally speaking, when you hear candidates talking about “Medicare for All,” what do you think they are proposing?
  • A single, government-run health insurance program to cover all Americans
  • An optional government-run program that would compete with private insurance
  • Neither of these

• And which of the following options for health care would you favor most?
  • A single, government-run health insurance program to cover all Americans
  • An optional government-run program that would compete with private insurance
  • Neither of these

The results are pretty telling: