Joe Biden decided it was time to address health care so he could contrast himself to Bernie Sanders' Medicare for All plan. Biden gave a speech in which he announced that his plan would include reinstating the Individual Mandate, raising health insurance premiums for those paying less than $400 per month and some other things. Biden wasn't answering a question, so it seems unlikely that he slipped up. Still, these points seem really bizarre items to push.
Let's start with the individual mandate. That's the part of Obamacare that made it a requirement for every American to have health insurance or else to pay a fine that today would be around $2000. The individual mandate was the single most unpopular part of Obamacare according to polls on the subject. President Trump and the Republicans repealed the individual mandate as part of the Republican tax cut legislation in 2017. There is essentially no one who has missed it. Indeed, when the mandate was originally passed, the Democrats said that the mandate was needed in order to make insurance more widespread and to bring down premiums. The repeal of the mandate, however, has not led to a decline in the number of people with insurance or to a rise in premiums. In other words, the mandate didn't do what Obama/Biden said it should, but Old Joe wants to bring it back anyway.
Biden also said he wants to raise premiums for those currently paying less than $400 per month. So Biden's method for making healthcare more affordable is to raise the cost of insurance? I can't believe he meant to say that, but with Biden you never know.
Biden has only pulled ahead of Sanders in the last week. Now he appears to be trying to fall behind again. A few more speeches like the one today on healthcare and he may achieve his goal.
Let's start with the individual mandate. That's the part of Obamacare that made it a requirement for every American to have health insurance or else to pay a fine that today would be around $2000. The individual mandate was the single most unpopular part of Obamacare according to polls on the subject. President Trump and the Republicans repealed the individual mandate as part of the Republican tax cut legislation in 2017. There is essentially no one who has missed it. Indeed, when the mandate was originally passed, the Democrats said that the mandate was needed in order to make insurance more widespread and to bring down premiums. The repeal of the mandate, however, has not led to a decline in the number of people with insurance or to a rise in premiums. In other words, the mandate didn't do what Obama/Biden said it should, but Old Joe wants to bring it back anyway.
Biden also said he wants to raise premiums for those currently paying less than $400 per month. So Biden's method for making healthcare more affordable is to raise the cost of insurance? I can't believe he meant to say that, but with Biden you never know.
Biden has only pulled ahead of Sanders in the last week. Now he appears to be trying to fall behind again. A few more speeches like the one today on healthcare and he may achieve his goal.
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