Allowing people to buy into Medicare is more popular than establishing a single-payer health care system — including among Democrats, according to a recent Navigator poll.
Why it matters: Bernie Sanders made "Medicare for All" a popular concept, but even its supporters have different ideas about what it entails. And more moderate versions have the upper hand.
Between the lines: Most people don’t have a nuanced understanding of health policy, and even within the same poll, different ways of describing the same policy yielded different results.
By the numbers: Even a majority of Republicans said that they would support a Medicare buy-in, when given a choice between that or single-payer.
- In another section of the poll, though, a 40% plurality of Republicans said "expanding Medicare" was a bad idea, and 59% said that "Medicare for anyone who wants it" is a bad idea.
Yes, but: A version of Medicare for All that eliminates private insurance is still supported by a majority of both Democrats and independents.
- 78% of Democrats said a "universal health care system" is a good idea, 76% said that a "'Medicare for All' program" is a good idea, and 52% said that a "single payer health care system" is a good idea.
What they're saying: Polling aside, "I think Medicare for All is what the American people want and need," Sanders said in a brief interview.
- “I think the vision of a simple, seamless system of health care where you have the care that you need, your loved ones have the care that they need…is very, very appealing. Many ideas are being presented for how do we get to that," said Sen. Jeff Merkley, who has a Medicare buy-in proposal.
The bottom line: There’s plenty of opportunity to sway the health care debate, but moderate Democrats seem to have the most popular ideas right now.
