This is not addressed to anyone in particular, just an addendum to the Warren thread:
The single-payer debate and the pertinent facts regarding it should include a comparison between the different plans and why the differences matter. At first, I was not aware of the differences between the healthcare plans of Sanders and Warren.
I flatly rejected Sanders' plan because of the high cost and lack of funding along with the loss of choice. Essentially the cost of Sanders' plan was estimated between 32.6 trillion dollars and 49 trillion dollars for the first decade. The reason why this is estimated as a decade is because it is a near consensus among economists that the passing of single-payer (or an expansion of medicare to all who want it) would reduce aggregate healthcare costs over time. That is the major reason for wanting it and that is the main talking point. It has been over-simplified to simply focus on taxes vs costs and both Warren and Sanders are correct that costs would come down. Using the (lowest) 32.6 trillion dollar ten year estimate of Sanders' plan, along with the revenue generating ideas in the plan, which I think are fantastic revenue generating ideas that should be implemented regardless of how the federal government moves forward with healthcare, it is a fairly straightforward process to extrapolate that his plan would lead to an additional 1.4 to 1.7 trillion dollars in federal budget deficit. The result would be a tax hike on the middle class and there is really no way around it. The plan already includes huge tax hikes on the rich and still only funds half of the cost. Repealing Trump's tax cuts would not even cover the deficit which currently stands at an estimated 1.1 trillion dollars. Therefore, passing Sanders' healthcare plan, as is, at this time, would lead to nearly 3 trillion dollars in deficits.
Before I contrast this with other plans, I find it useful to include the federal budget figures for (fiscal) 2019. I'll round the numbers off for brevity.
Revenue = 3.4 trillion dollars
Expenditures = 4.4 trillion dollars
deficit = almost a trillion dollars
And some figures regarding healthcare costs with the current lack of a system in place.
2019 costs = around 3.5 trillion dollars (paid by consumers, not part of the federal budget)
projected costs for the next decade anywhere between 35.4 trillion and 52.1 trillion dollars (again, not part of the federal budget)
This is why they argue only that you'd end up paying less, which is true for many, but not all.
Now, let's get into Warren's plan. As of late, Warren has responded to pressure by compromising with voters who have shown concern regarding tax hikes. She has laid out a 20.5 trillion dollar ten year plan which would be implemented after a 3 year transition period in which we would have a choice. This serves several purposes. The most important of which, in my opinion, is a reduction of aggregate cost. Call it whatever you want to, it's Medicare for all who want it. During this 3 years, the federal government would compete with private insurance companies to deliver value and reduce cost while making healthcare coverage immediately available. This would very rapidly eliminate the problem of 27 million Americans lacking healthcare and actually reduce the deficit if the funding mechanisms are implemented. Furthermore, even those on cheap private plans would likely see an improvement of value such as lower premiums. If they do not offer more value, they will go extinct.
By offering this, Warren has secured my vote.