Bernie Admits Taxing ‘the Rich’ Won’t Be Enough to Fund Medicare for All

Presidential hopeful Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) admitted not only the rich would pay their fair share to fund Medicare for All, but regular folks would help foot the bill for government-run universal health care.

“While campaigning in New Hampshire, he responded to an audience member’s question about payment by saying he would likely raise payroll taxes on employers as well as income taxes on high-income earners,” Fox News reported.

But Sanders claimed it would still save Americans money before explaining the details of his plan.

“It would cost you and ordinary Americans a lot less than you are currently spending on average,” Sanders said.

“What it will probably end up looking like is a payroll tax on employers, an increase in income tax in a progressive way for ordinary people — with a significant deductible for low-income people who pay nothing for it,” Sanders said.

“He also said his campaign purposefully didn’t put out a detailed account of his payment plan because it would ‘engender enormous debate,’” Fox News reported.

The Fox News report included several studies showing that Medicare for All would cost more than $30 trillion.

In April, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Seema Verma said Sander’s plan is “the biggest threat to the American health care system,” according to Fox News.

“What we’re talking about is stripping people of their private health insurance, forcing them into a government-run program,” Verma said.

Like his Democrat colleagues who are also running for the 2020 Democrat presidential nomination, Sanders has repeatedly stated that health care is a right, not a privilege. 

Follow Penny Starr on Twitter