Poll: Majority of Michigan Voters Reject Eliminating Private Insurance to Advance Medicare for All

Most Michigan voters reject eliminating private insurance in order to advance “Medicare for All,” according to a July survey conducted by the Glengariff Group Inc. released this week.

The Detroit Regional Chamber commissioned the survey, which polled 600 likely Michigan voters between July 17-20. While “strong” Democrats support the idea, the majority of general election voters oppose it– 52 percent to 37 percent. Detroit Regional Chamber CEO and President Sandy Baruah said she hoped the poll would show both parties, including Democrat 2020 candidates, that they need to appeal to centrists.

“Elections are still won in the middle,” Baruah said, according to the Detroit News. “That would be my only advice.”

While “strong” Democrats support the measure by a greater margin – 58 percent – only 48 percent who “lean Democrats” support it. The majority of independent voters in Michigan – 53 percent – oppose the proposal. The margin of error is +/- 4 percent.

This comes in the wake of top tier Democrat candidates espousing more ultra-leftist views. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) has been a huge advocate for Medicare for All and defended his radical position during an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live Thursday night. Kimmel told Sanders that he was worried the notion of abolishing private insurance altogether would make it an “impossible sell,” but Sanders dismissed his concerns.

“No, I don’t think so,” Sanders said. “I think it is exactly what the American people want, polling suggests that.”

Sanders continued:

At the end of the day, we have to make a decision. Do we have a health care system… whose major function is to provide quality care to all people as a right or do we continue with the system we have right now, which is designed to do what?… What is the function of the insurance companies? It’s to make as much money as they can.

“Do we expand Medicare, which is a good and popular program for seniors, to all people, or do we continue a dysfunctional, expensive system designed to make billions for the health care industry?”

It is likely that the discussion revolving around Medicare for All will resurface during the CNN-hosted Democrat debates, taking place in Detroit, Michigan next week.

President Trump defeated Hillary Clinton in Michigan in 2016 by 10,7044 votes– 47.3 percent to 47 percent