Her plan is pretty well documented and can be found here:
https://elizabethwarren.com/plans/m4a-transition . It contains much more detail and rigor than anything Bernie wrote.
Do I believe it will happen as she wrote it? No, I don't. I don't because she will face tremendous opposition as well as fear, uncertainty and doubt from people like me. My first issue with her plan is her three-year timeline. I don't think Its possible to grow Medicare from where it is today into one that covers everybody in three years. My second concern is my doubt in her assumptions about cost reductions offsetting cost increases without degrading quality of service.
That said, the plan overall is pretty good and I agree with much of it. After listening to what she is saying and looking at her track record, I think she's the best choice among the other candidates to make great progress towards a single payer system during her first term. Her track record also says she's pragmatic and doesn't just demand her way or go home. Also, I doubt her "no new taxes" promise can be fully delivered. OTOH, the plan that she wrote, in my opinion, will not be a total swing and a miss, leaving taxpayers footing a 2x increase when it comes to paying for their healthcare. Her detailed list cost reductions can take a big bite out of the increases in costs involved in covering everybody. I simply don't believe they will be totally realized, leaving the taxpayer with an increase but not a whopping large one.
I really like this bit:
- I will fight to pass fast-track budget reconciliation legislation to create a true Medicare for All option that’s free for tens of millions. I won’t hand Mitch McConnell a veto over my health care agenda. Instead, I’ll give every American over the age of 50 the choice to enter an improved Medicare program, and I’ll give every person in America the choice to get coverage through a true Medicare for All option. Coverage under the new Medicare for All option will be immediately free for children under the age of 18 and for families making at or below 200% of the federal poverty level (about $51,000 for a family of four). For all others, the cost will be modest, and eventually, coverage under this plan will be free for everyone.
By the end of my first 100 days, we will have opened the door for tens of millions of Americans to get high-quality Medicare for All coverage at little or no cost.
This is the nut that has to be cracked first. Make Medicare available to everybody who wants it and make Medicare free to those who can't afford private insurance. I like her aggressive approach in this regard.
