Buttigieg Criticizes Medicare for All for Eliminating All Private Plans

EXCERPT:

BUTTIGIEG: "I'm so glad that you raised this, because this is an important issue affecting a lot of people, especially folks who have negotiated through labor contracts care both in terms of the insurance they have while working and then things that supplement better. And one area where I part ways with some of the candidates who insist on Medicare for All, who wanted no private insurance at all, is what that would mean for plans, whether it's Medicare Advantage or what you were describing. And it's one of the reasons why I disagree with the idea of just eliminating all private plans. No, I believe that what I call the 'Medicare for All who want it' option that I propose to create, I think it will be the best one out there, at least I hope it will. I guess where the humility comes in is, I'm not prepared to bet other people's well-being on that expectation. In other words, if it really is the best one out there, everybody will want it. And if it's not the right answer for everybody, then we're going to be really glad we didn't force everybody. Some people might prefer the plans they've got.”