Seth Moulton on Health Care Democratic Presidential Challenger; MA Rep.

Opposes Medicare for All, but would expand coverage

EIGHT CANDIDATES HAVE SIMILAR VIEWS: Michael Bennet; Joseph Biden, Jr.; Steve Bullock; John Delaney; John Hickenlooper; Jay Inslee; Amy Klobuchar; Beto O`Rourke.

About half of the candidates in the large Democratic field have come out against Medicare for All. Their criticisms have focused on its potential cost (pegged at more than $30 trillion over a decade by outside groups) and the disruption to patients and the health care system resulting from forcing everyone into a single government-run plan.

Many in this camp say they favor an alternative approach allowing people to keep their private insurance while making a government plan available to anyone who prefers it. The competition from the cheaper public plan, they argue, would drive insurance costs down in the private market as well. Others argue for taking things slower and prioritizing solutions for those currently facing the highest health costs.

Don't force people to get rid of their private health plans

A: "I'm not going to force people to get rid of their private health care plans if they like them."

Treat mental health like physical care with regular checkups

Expand mental care at VA, rest of country

Provide troops and vets both physical and mental health care

Don't tie healthcare with job; cover pre-existing conditions

President Obama fought hard to pass the Affordable Care Act, which expanded healthcare coverage to millions of Americans, protected pre-existing conditions, and set the standard for coverage. But even under Obamacare, costs for healthcare are too high and climbing.

That's why we need a public option, which would give all Americans a choice between public healthcare and their current insurance. Doing so would create competition in the market, driving down prices and giving Americans what they deserve: lower prescription prices, cheaper premiums, coverage for pre-existing conditions, and better care.

Improve ObamaCare but not single-payer

Health care is a right, and also smart policy

I support the Affordable Care Act because it takes important steps to lower costs and broaden access to care for many who have previously been locked out of the insurance market. But I also don't believe that the ACA is perfect. I will always jump at the opportunity to make it better.

One area that needs to be addressed is health care supply; we need to make the proper investments in technology to increase the supply of medical services, while also ensuring everyone has efficient access. Where there are problems, I will own up to them and fight to fix them.

Opposes repealing Obamacare.

CC.org's self-description: "The Christian Coalition voter guide [is] one of the most powerful tools Christians have ever had to impact our society during elections. This simple tool has helped educate tens of millions of citizens across this nation as to where candidates for public office stand on key faith and family issues.

The Coalition is a political organization, made up of pro-family Americans who care deeply about ensuring that government serves to strengthen and preserve, rather than threaten, our families and our values. To that end, we work continuously to identify, educate and mobilize Christians for effective political action." The CC survey summarizes candidate stances on the following topic: 'Repealing healthcare law (Obamacare) that forces citizens to buy insurance or pay a tax'

Opposes repealing Obamacare, according to Faith2Action.

Faith2Action.org is "the nation's largest network of pro-family groups." They provide election resources for each state, including Voter Guides and Congressional Scorecards excerpted here. The F2A survey summarizes candidate stances on the following topic: 'Health Care: Do you support repealing the 2010 Affordable Care Act?'

Opposes repealing Obamacare, according to PVS rating.

Project VoteSmart infers summary responses from campaign statements and news reports The PVS survey summarizes candidate stances on the following topic: 'Health Care: Do you support repealing the 2010 Affordable Care Act?'

GOP can't beat ObamaCare, so they pretend it's a "disaster".

Heritage Action Summary: This vote would fully repeal ObamaCare.

Heritage Foundation recommendation to vote YES: (2/3/2015): ObamaCare creates $1.8 trillion in new health care spending and uses cuts to Medicare spending to help pay for some of it. Millions of Americans already have lost, and more likely will lose, their coverage because of ObamaCare. Many Americans have not been able to keep their doctors as insurers try to offset the added costs of ObamaCare by limiting the number of providers in their networks. In spite of the promise, the law increases the cost of health coverage.

Secretary of Labor Robert Reich recommendation to vote NO: (robertreich.org 11/22/2013): Having failed to defeat the Affordable Care Act, Republicans are now hell-bent on destroying the ObamaCare in Americans' minds, using the word "disaster" whenever mentioning the Act, and demand its repeal. Democrats [should] meet the Republican barrage with three larger truths:

1. The wreck of private insurance: Ours has been the only healthcare system in the world designed to avoid sick people. For-profit insurers have spent billions finding and marketing their policies to healthy people--while rejecting people with preexisting conditions, or at high risk.
2. We could not continue with this travesty of a healthcare system: ObamaCare is a modest solution. It still relies on private insurers--merely setting minimum standards and "exchanges" where customers can compare policies.
3. The moral imperative: Even a clunky compromise like the ACA between a national system of health insurance and a for-profit insurance market depends, fundamentally, on a social compact in which those who are healthier and richer are willing to help those who are sicker and poorer. Such a social compact defines a society.

Legislative outcome: Passed House 239-186-8; never came to a vote in the Senate.