Senator and 2020 presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders appeared on CBS's "The Late Show" with Stephen Colbert on Thursday to discuss his "Medicare for All" proposal. He said that it's absolutely not free and that Americans making more than $29,000 will have a hike in their taxes in order to pay for it.
So how exactly do we benefit from that? Suddenly most of working Americans have to pay a substantial amount more in taxes (taxation is theft) in order to pay for healthcare for all the people who do not work?
“Senator Warren was on here last week and I asked her about her plans for Medicare for All, and I’m going to ask you the question that I asked her … at the risk of being accused of trumpeting Republican talking points,” Colbert inquired.
“Is there an increase in taxes on the middle class to pay for Medicare for All, or rather, where would the tax burden go to pay for that?” he asked Sanders.
Bernie responded, “Under my legislation — 15 co-sponsors I believe in the Senate now — nobody in America will pay any more premiums,. No more co-payments, gone. No more out-of-pocket expenses, gone. Nobody will go bankrupt… because of medical bills, that is gone.”
“Nobody in America under my bill will pay more than $200 a year in total for their prescription drugs,” he continued. “Now having said that, is health care free? No, it is not. So what we do is exempt the first $29,000 of a person’s income. You make less than $29,000, you pay nothing in taxes."
At least he admits that it isn't free and that Americans will be impacted....negatively if you ask me.
“Above that, in a progressive way with the wealthiest people paying the largest percentage, people do pay more in taxes,” Sanders continued, “But if I say to you, that right now you’re paying $20,000 a year in a tax called a premium for insurance companies. That’s gone.”
Here is Colbert's interview with Elizabeth Warren:
