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An article published on The Lever in August argued that Vice President Kamala Harris is now ignoring her previous campaign promises of “Medicare For All” after she ascended to Democratic nominee for president without public input.
The outlet cites the example of Harris telling a Des Moines crowd in January 2019 that the solution to affordable healthcare is “Medicare For All.” She said, “To live in a civil society, to be true to the ideals and the spirit of who we say we are as a country,” Harris said, “we have to appreciate and understand that access to health care” is not a “privilege” but a “right.” (TAKE A POLL: Do You Believe That Tax Cuts for Corporations Benefit the Average Citizen?)
“It is inhumane to make people go through a system where they cannot literally receive the benefit of what medical science can offer because some insurance company has decided it doesn’t meet their bottom line in terms of their profit motivation. That is inhumane,” she continued. This was far from the only time Harris spoke publicly and emphatically about her support for the cause. She has also voted in favor of it in the Senate.
What Now?
After being called out for her stance on Medicare For All well before the COVID-19 pandemic, Harris quickly backtracked and said that the program was just her “preference” and that she’s open to other pathways to ensure universal healthcare coverage. (TAKE A POLL: Do You Think Advancements in Technology Will Lead to Greater Economic Inequality?)
“She called it Medicare for All,” said ICU doctor Adam Gaffney. “But it really wasn’t. She did envision covering everyone and that is laudable and that is critical. But the plan maintained a central role for private insurers, and we’ve seen year after year is that private insurers are driving up the cost of care. They are a key problem in our crisis.” Medicare For All, at the time, was a single-payer health insurance that would create one federal government entity to oversee all healthcare, sort of like how the DMV operates today with our licenses, et cetera.
But now, Harris suddenly thinks insurance companies play a useful role and should continue their existence in our healthcare industry. Harris completely backed off the idea of a single-payer system for all, abandoning her previous promises and years of dedication to this cause.
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