Jimmy Carter: US Will Have Single-Payer Health Care

While addressing a church congregation on July 23, former Democratic President Jimmy Carter speculated that the U.S. will eventually adopt a single-payer health care system.

“I think eventually we’ll have a single-payer system,” said the 92-year-old Carter at Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, Georgia.

The single-payer system has long been disparaged by GOP members, who contend that such an approach would produce increased consumer costs, minimal marketplace competition and muddled bureaucracy.

Carter mentioned his previous efforts to see such a health care system implemented.

“When I was in the White House, I tried to get Medicare to cover everyone,” said Carter.

Carter’s comments come amid a campaign by Republicans in Congress to pass legislation to replace and repeal the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare.

“For seven years, I’ve been hearing repeal and replace from Congress,” said President Donald Trump of his party’s efforts to overturn the ACA.

“I’ve been hearing it loud and strong, and when we finally get a chance to repeal and replace, they don’t take advantage of it.”

The GOP health care bill passed in the House of Representatives in May but stalled in the Senate on July 17, though Republican Senate Majority Leader Rep. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky still has his sights set on abolishing Obama-era health care laws.

“Regretfully, it is now apparent that the effort to repeal and immediately replace the failure of Obamacare will not be successful,” said McConnell, according to NPR.

“So, in the coming days, the Senate will vote to take up the House bill with the first amendment in order being what a majority of the Senate has already supported in 2015 and that was vetoed by then-President Obama: a repeal of Obamacare with a two-year delay to provide for a stable transition period to a patient-centered health care system that gives Americans access to quality, affordable care.”

Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, a former Democratic presidential candidate, warned on July 24 against GOP efforts to rewrite current health care legislation, according to The Hill.

“We have got to stop worrying about Trump’s tweets, and pay attention to the actual legislation he is supporting,” read a statement from Sanders’ office.

“This legislation would result in the unnecessary deaths of thousands of Americans every single year.”

Among other things, Sanders warned that Republicans’ most recent attempt to “repeal and replace” would result in 22 million Americans eventually losing health insurance, as well as cuts to Medicaid and Planned Parenthood subsidies.  

Sources: The Hill (2), NPR / Photo credit: Commonwealth Club/Flickr, AFGE/Flickr, Gage Skidmore/Flickr