A study out today in prestigious medical journal The Lancet shows Medicare for All would prevent 68,000 unnecessary deaths per year, and save Americans $450 billion in healthcare costs.
It comes as the issue of healthcare has become front and centre as the campaign moves to Nevada, with the issue of union provided plans being impacted by Medicare for All brought up by Sanders’ opponents.
The study also notes that in addition to the lives saved and the reduced cost to the economy, the average family would save thousands per year on the premiums, copays and deductibles they currently pay, with low income people to benefit the most. Medical professionals and healthcare providers would meanwhile benefit from reduced administrative costs they currently occur from the complicated and inefficient current system. These findings reflect the overwhelming consensus on the issue, with 19 of 22 recent studies on the issue finding a single payer system would be cheaper than the current system.
Sanders’ opponents have been eager to capitalise on the issue, though rank and file union members have hit back at the stance taken by their leadership. Leading the attacks has been moderate frontrunner Pete Buttigieg, who has increasingly become a favourite of the establishment, and is one of the biggest recipients of money from cashed up donors including the private health industry. Sanders currently leads in the polls in the Silver State.
