Democrat Gubernatorial Candidates Embrace Expensive Single-Payer Healthcare System, Despite Trillions In Costs and Tax Hikes

Democrat candidates running for governor are embracing a ‘Medicare for all’ healthcare system that would require trillions in new spending and historic tax hikes.

The Associated Press reported today that according to a new study, ‘Medicare for all’ – also known as Single-Payer – would cost $32.6 trillion and require massive tax increases, forcing working American families to pay more to shoulder the enormous burden.

This comes after another recent non-partisan study in Maryland, which showed that Single-Payer healthcare would cost $24 billion per year in the state, and require “significant” tax hikes, including a new $2,800 tax on every man, woman and child.

Despite these studies showing that Single-Payer would lead to an economic catastrophe for the American economy and in individual states, Democrat gubernatorial candidates across the country have embraced Single-Payer – but have largely failed to explain how they would pay for such a massive spending scheme.

Below are samples of Democrat gubernatorial candidates announcing their support for the costly Single-Payer healthcare systems in their states. Media should ask other Democrat gubernatorial candidates, who have thus far refused to answer or announce their position, where they stand, and how they would pay for it.

Arizona:
Steve Farley said he would push for Single-Payer. “On health care, Farley and Garcia said they didn’t trust Congress to get anything done on that front. Farley said he would push for single-payer health care, while Garcia said he thought a state-sponsored Medicaid-for-all health insurance option might be a good idea.” (Source: “Democratic governor candidates dis Gov. Doug Ducey, joust at first forum,” The Republic, August 19, 2017)

David Garcia announced he wanted Medicare For All. “Received this e-mail today from David Garcia’s (D. AZ) gubernatorial campaign: Medicare For All is the fairest and most effective way to provide for the health care needs of everyone….David Garcia is running for Governor of Arizona to make sure that every American will NEVER have to choose between life saving health care and going into debt. Medicare For All would guarantee every American has access to quality and affordable health care…sign on to DEMAND to pass Medicare for All.” (Source: “AZ-Gov: David Garcia (D) Pushes The Call To Make Medicare For All A Reality,” Daily Kos, July 13, 2018)

Kelly Fryer announced she would advocate for Medicare For All. “Yes. Access to affordable, quality health care is a basic human right. I will be a loud advocate within the U.S. for a single payer Medicare for all system.” (Source: “Frequently asked questions,” FryerForArizona.com)

California
Gavin Newsom Made An ‘Explicit’ Endorsement of Single-Payer. “Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom has made his most explicit endorsement yet of a controversial single-payer healthcare proposal that has roiled Democratic politics in California. Newsom appeared Friday before the California Nurses Assn., the most ardent backers of SB 562, a stalled bill to establish a system in which the state would cover all residents’ healthcare costs. ‘There’s no reason to wait around on universal healthcare and single-payer in California,” Newsom said. ‘It’s time to move 562. It’s time to get it out of committee.” (Source: “We Will Have Universal Healthcare In The State of California,’ Gavin Newsom Promises Single-Payer Advocates,” Los Angeles Times, 9/22/2017)

Colorado:
Jared Polis proclaimed he would offer Single-Payer as governor. “If I’m elected governor of Colorado, I will work with other western states to tackle our shared health care challenges. Together, we can pioneer a groundbreaking multi-state consortium to offer a universal, single-payer option out west.” (Source: “Jared Polis: Bringing Universal Health Care to Colorado,” Aspen Times, February 25, 2018)

Connecticut:
Ned Lamont claimed that he will “champion” a single-payer system. “As Governor, I will champion a single-payer system, I will work with Blumenthal, I will work with Murphy, again, it’s the right thing to do, it’s a basic right…” (Source: “Ned Lamont Backs Single-Payer Healthcare,” YouTube, February 17, 2018)

Florida:
Andrew Gillum supports Medicare For All in Florida. “Moving to this system will help us finally address these long-term issues by reining in costs and wasteful spending, while ensuring our seniors still get the high-quality care they deserve. Too many Floridians cannot afford the health care they need – from routine preventative care to prescription drugs – and ‘Medicare for All’ will make this critical care more affordable for them. In the process, we’ll create a more robust healthcare economy to put more Floridians to work at good-paying jobs.” (Source: “Here’s where the Democratic candidates governor stand on Bernie Sanders’ ‘Medicare for all’ proposal,” Tampa Bay Times, September 29, 2017)

Philip Levine Said “We Are Going To Go Towards” Single-Payer Health Care In Florida “Because It Works.” “Down the road. I believe we will get to that point where we will have Medicare for all…Because it works.” (Source: “Phil Levine Embraces Single Payer Healthcare,” YouTube, June 27, 2018)

Georgia:
Stacey Abrams wants to put Georgia on the path toward Single-Payer. “Evans and Abrams both want to expand Medicaid. Abrams, however, considers the move a “starting point” on the path toward “the availability of single payer” health insurance, and Evans has made no such remarks.” (Source: “A Tale Of Two Staceys: Georgia Governor’s Race Highlights Democratic Party Divisions,” Huffington Post, July 8, 2018)

Maryland:
Ben Jealous has strongly endorsed Single-Payer. “State-sponsored health insurance for all Marylanders such as the single-payer plan proposed by Democratic gubernatorial nominee Ben Jealous could cost $24 billion a year, forcing lawmakers to significantly raise taxes, according to a nonpartisan analysis… Maryland would have to levy a 10 percent payroll tax against every business and charge a $2,800 fee for every man, woman and child to pay for a new health care system in which doctors bill the state instead of private insurance companies.” (Source: “Maryland analysts: Single-payer health care, proposed by Jealous, could cost state $24 billion a year,” Baltimore Sun, July 17, 2018)

Michigan:
Abdul El-Sayed has proposed Medicare For All in Michigan. “Democratic gubernatorial candidate Abdul El-Sayed wants to make Michigan the first state in the nation with its own Medicare-for-all government health insurance system under a proposal he unveiled Wednesday. The former Detroit health department director and trained medical doctor wants to raise taxes on large businesses and individuals to pay for a universal “Michicare” plan he says could produce significant health care savings for families and employers. (Source: Jonathan Oosting, “Democrat Abdul El-Sayed proposes universal health care for Michigan,” Detroit News, June 6, 2018)

Shri Thanedar is on record supporting Single-Payer in Michigan. “Single-payer health care, often referred to on the federal level as Medicare for All, has made it into the policy agendas of more and more Democrat candidates since progressive Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders ran for president in 2016. Two of three Democrat candidates for Michigan governor — Abdul El-Sayed and Shri Thanedar — say they would create a single-payer system in Michigan.” (Source: Violet Ikonomova, “Bill would create single-payer health care system in Michigan,” Detroit Metro Times, July 2, 2018)

Minnesota:
Erin Murphy and Tim Walz both want Single-Payer healthcare in Minnesota. “While Republicans have pushed for the dissolution of MNsure and a shift to health care policies where customers pick and choose what’s covered, DFL candidates Erin Murphy and U.S. Rep. Tim Walz have lined up behind single-payer health care… Walz said in a statement that he also supports a longer-term shift to a single-payer system but a more immediate start of MinnesotaCare buy-in.” (Source: “DFL candidates in race for Minnesota governor highlight health care plans,” Star Tribune, July 11, 2018)

Nevada:
Steve Sisolak has stated his support for Single-Payer healthcare in Nevada. “That’s our whole healthcare system until you get into a single-payer system that’s going to resolve this once and for all.’ AUDIENCE MEMBER: ‘Are you in support of single-payer?’ STEVE SISOLAK: ‘Yeah, I think that’s where we’re headed right now…” (Source: “Steve Sisolak Supports Single-Payer Healthcare,” YouTube, (January 19, 2018)

New Hampshire:
Steve Marchand called Single-Payer the “right move.” “Just the other day, she heard me talking on the phone with somebody about why single payer coverage, or really, attaching insurance to the individual rather than the employer is obviously the right move if you want a pro-entrepreneur, pro-growth, dynamic economy because, it’s an entrepreneurial based economy that is stifled by insurance being stuck with the employer.” (Source: “Steve Marchand: Single Payer Healthcare Is The Right Move,” YouTube, March 21, 2017)

New York:
Cynthia Nixon called for Single-Payer In New York.” “When I’m governor, we’ll pass the New York Health Act and create a Single-Payer, Medicare For All System that covers every New Yorker.” (Source: Cynthia For New York, You Tube, 7/24/2018)

Rhode Island:
Gina Raimondo has called moving toward Single-Payer on a national level “the right answer.” “Add Governor Raimondo to the list of Rhode Island Democrats warming to the idea of single-payer health insurance, which Bernie Sanders has been beating the drum for this month. ‘Look, what we have now doesn’t work,’ Raimondo said on Newsmakers. ‘We spend way too much money on administration. There’s too many payers, and the payers have too much power in the system, and the level of coordination is poor, and all the money we spend on executive pay of insurance company execs and administrators – you know, I think in our health-care system now, in a particular hospital, it’s something like a dozen administrators for every doctor. So it doesn’t work. It’s not coordinated. And I do think moving to single-payer on a national level is the right answer.’” (Source: Ted Nesi, “Nesi’s Notes: Sept. 23,” WPRI, September 23, 2017)

Matt Brown has vowed to provide “Medicare for All” if elected in Rhode Island.  “Should he win his bid to become Rhode Island’s next governor, Democratic primary contender Matt Brown promises to renew the fight for universal health-care under the banner: ‘Medicare-for-All.’ His pledge: ‘On our first day in office, we will create an expert commission of health care and economic advisers … to create a plan to move Rhode Island to a universal health care system that covers everyone while lowering average costs for people and businesses in the state.’” (Source: Katherine Gregg, “Democrat Matt Brown vows to provide ‘Medicare for All’ if elected governor,” Providence Journal, July 27, 2018)

South Carolina:
James Smith answered “absolutely” when asked if he supports Medicare For All. “AUDIENCE MEMBER: ‘Would you support Medicare-for-all?” JAMES SMITH: ‘Absolutely, now keep in mind that in terms of universal health care, there’s only so much a governor can do, a lot of that has to be determined by federal legislation but I certainly believe in it. I’ve been to countries that can do that and I certainly believe America can do it as well.’” (Source: “James Smith Supports Medicare-For-All,” YouTube, January 30, 2018)