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Rep. Andre Carson: Medicare-for-All not 'socialized medicine'

Posted at 5:03 PM, Mar 11, 2019
and last updated 2019-03-11 17:03:02-04

INDIANAPOLIS — A U.S Congressman from Indiana is on the Medicare-for-All Congressional Caucus, and he has been since its formation last year.

Rep. Andre Carson, D-Indiana, is trying to clear up some misconceptions about the Medicare-for-All plan, which was introduced in the House of Representatives last month.

The proposal in the House would eliminate the age threshold for Medicare (currently at 65) and would not require beneficiaries to pay premiums or deductibles. The big question, of course, is how can the United States pay for it?

The 10-year price tag would be between $25 trillion and $35 trillion, according to an Associated Press article. The House bill would come out of taxpayer money.

In an interview Monday morning, Carson pushed back against criticism that the plan is "socialized medicine."

"We're not other countries, we can pay our debts," Carson said. "We have the capacity. If we can pay for the multitude of wars that we pay for, we can pay for the hundreds and hundreds of studies each year, we can pay for an effective study that will effectively look at and score this process."

It is unknown if the bill will receive a vote in the House, though Speaker Nancy Pelosi has previously expressed interest in allowing Medicare-for-All plans to get hearings.