Dem hopefuls largely agree on health care

KINGSTON, N.Y. » As the midterm elections approach, Democratic candidates across the country are working to appeal to their party’s base and independent voters on a variety of topics, including health care.

In the race for the Democratic nomination in New York’s 19th Congressional District, the seven candidates have spoken about the need for universal health care coverage for Americans, with several saying they prefer a “Medicare for all” option. Several have said health care is a human right and that American families need access to affordable care. They also have said Medicare needs the ability to negotiate with pharmaceutical companies to reduce drug prices.

As the Democratic candidates try to differen-

tiate themselves from one another, David Clegg of Woodstock plans to hold a series of town hall events to talk about health care and his support of Medicare for all. The events will be held between April 29 and May 15 in Liberty, the city of Kingston, Cooperstown, Hudson, and Rhinebeck, and more will be added if there is interest.

The event in Kingston is scheduled for 6 to 7:45 p.m. May 1 at the Kingston Library, 55 Franklin St.

Clegg said he would listen to people’s concerns and talk about the benefits Medicare for all would have for almost everyone in the district. He said there would need to be a transition period to arrive at Medicare for all, but that it would provide a single-payer system. It would allow people to get payment from the federal government for their health care, but services would be provided through a private medical system, he said.

“There’s more than enough money to pay for it right now,” Clegg added,

saying money spent on the current health care system could be used to provide universal care without deductibles or co-payments for every resident.

There also would be a progressive tax system, as well as employment and excise taxes to fund it, Clegg said.

“The studies have shown that 95 percent of people in this country would pay less for health care under this system,” he said.

Fellow Democratic candidates Jeffrey Beals of Woodstock, Erin Collier of Cooperstown, Brian Flynn of Elka Park, and Gareth Rhodes of Kerhonkson all said they, too, support Medicare for all, while Antonio Delgado of Rhinebeck and Patrick Ryan of Gardiner said they support a universal health care option that could include Medicare.

According to The Washington Post, a poll by the newspaper and the Kaiser Family Foundation found 51 percent of Americans support a national health care plan, also known as a single-payer plan, while 43 percent oppose it. Among Democrats, 74 percent support a single-payer plan, while 80 percent of Republicans

are in opposition, the poll found. Independents support a government-run health care plan by 54-40 percent margin, the Post said.

Beals has said providing Medicare for all is one of his legislative priorities and that he would vote for a bill in Congress that provides it. He said Americans cannot afford the private insurance system and Medicare for all would result in a cost savings for the country.

Collier, in a statement, said: “I support a clear, responsible pathway to Medicare for all that ensures that people that currently rely on the Affordable Care Act are able to keep their health care.” She also said children’s health care should not be used as a political bargaining chip and that she is firmly committed to protecting women’s right to choose and make their own health care decisions.

Flynn’s campaign said he has been advocating for Medicare for all since 2004 and that such a system would provide affordable, quality health care that is not employer-dependent. In the short-term, though, Flynn supports fortifying and expanding the Affordable

Care Act, which has helped millions of Americans access health insurance, often for the first time, the campaign said in a statement.

Rhodes said in a prepared statement: “From having lived without health insurance, and hearing every day on my trip to all 163 towns in NY-19 heartbreaking stories from families who have been failed by our current health care system, I am deeply committed to the fight for Medicare for all.” Rhodes said the country no longer can settle for piecemeal solutions that put profits ahead of patients.

Also in a statement, Delgado said: “I believe we should be moving in the direction of Medicare for all, and that a necessary first step is giving people the choice to buy into Medicare. This allows people who want to keep their coverage the option to do so while driving down premiums and deductibles. It ensures that health care will be affordable and universal.”

Buying into Medicare is separate from Medicare for all in that it would mean a Medicare plan is offered on the health insurance exchanges, forcing private insurance

plans to compete with a government one.

“I’m focused on what immediate steps I can take from my first day in office in January 2019 to ensure universal coverage for every American,” Ryan said in a statement. “First, we should lower the Medicare age to 55, which would allow millions more Americans to access affordable health care. Second, we should create a public option that would empower anyone to be able to opt in to the Medicare program.”

A Democratic primary in the 19th Congressional District is scheduled for June 26. The winner will run against Republican U.S. Rep. John Faso, a first-term congressman from Kinderhook, in the Nov. 6 election.

Also seeking the seat are Green Party candidate Steven Greenfield of New Paltz, and independent candidates Diane Neal of Hurley and Luisa Parker of Callicoon.

The 19th District comprises all of Ulster, Greene, Columbia, Sullivan, Delaware, Schoharie and Otsego counties; most of Dutchess County; parts of Rensselaer and Montgomery counties; and a small section of Broome County.