Barack Obama

I don't believe Obama got what he would have preferred, but he got what was doable at the time. To get nothing passed would have been catastrophic, and left us with little chance of improvement for at least a decade (remember Hilliarycare's defeat).

I think the framework is now there for movement to a public option or single payer. In the meantime, 30 million people will have access to coverage, insurer's can't deny coverage for pre-existing conditions, and more.


Fact is, even if we had gone to Medicare for all -- just like now, insurance companies would have handled the administrative functions and even offer Medicare Advantage Plans (that 28% of current Medicare beneficiaries have chosen voluntarily). It would not have eliminated insurance companies, no matter how much we hate them.