Dr. Bernie’s Snake Oil

ObamaCare falsely promised Americans they could keep their health plans, but what Democrats really had in mind is now clear: They want everyone to lose their insurance and take what government gives them instead.

That’s obvious from Bernie Sanders’ Medicare for All scheme, rolled out Wednesday with the support of the party’s chief 2020 presidential hopefuls.

ObamaCare kicked some 7 million people off their plans. But Bernie’s bill would outlaw both employer-paid health care and private insurance for individuals. That is, more than half the country — 180

million people — would have to say goodbye to their current plans (which they’re mostly happy with) and switch to BernieCare. (Most of the other half is already on some form of government health plan.)

Think of it as medical care run by, say, Motor Vehicles. Or the Veterans Administra- tion: Long lines. Dangerously long waits for treatment. Shoddy service. Scarce resources. Fewer choices . . .

And monster bills. Sanders & Co. won’t talk about the costs. But independent estimates put it at $1.4 trillion or more a year.

Nor do they say where that money will come from, though Sanders has floated some ideas: Raise taxes through the roof. (And if that crashes the economy, tough.)

OK, we get it: These Dems don’t like competition or free markets. They believe government should run things. Everything.

It’s why they fight to keep the government monopoly over schools. But competition (from, say, charters) has proven the better model in public education. Lawmakers should be looking for ways to boost competition — not scrap it.

As for Bernie’s offer of “free health care for all”: Why trust that after all the broken promises of ObamaCare?