Howard Schultz defends position on ‘Medicare-for-all’

In an interview with CNN's Poppy Harlow, former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz, whose contemplation of an independent presidential run in 2020 has infuriated Democrats, said that "Medicare-for-all" is not "not American," but unaffordable. #CNN #News

Howard Schultz defends position on 'Medicare-for-all'

74 thoughts on “Howard Schultz defends position on ‘Medicare-for-all’

    • +Mark Haufekai You obviously were not listening, or you have a comprehension problem. He clearly stated that he started at the very bottom, and knows exactly what its like to have no healthcare. That’s why his employees all have a good health plan, provided by his company. Without “Big Business” , there would be no health care. You dont make better health care by kicking the provider in the balls. It just dosent work that way.

  1. It’s unaffordable because he would rather bomb Afghanistan and Yemen than take care of his own people. He is not running for the people, he is running for the Military Industrial Complex. He cares only about himself.

    • +Mark Dice People like you only crawl out from under rock complaining about money when it’s about keeping people ALIVE. Provide us with a link to your comments complaining about wars killing tens of thousands and costs us $5.9 TRILLION since 2001.

    • +Mark Dice You don’t know the facts. It’s really that simple. Let’s assume that the figure you provided, $32.6 trillion, is correct. That’s $3.26 trillion per year. In the US today, there are 328.4 million people. Now let’s take out illegal immigrants, which totals around 11 million people or so. That’s now 317.4 million people, which boils down to $10,271 per American citizen for healthcare each year. Do you know how much the average person spent on healthcare in 2017? $10,739 according to the federal government. So, more or less, if we had a Medicare-for-all program with zero monthly premium, and just raised people’s taxes by the amount that they pay for healthcare each year (we can figure out how to distribute the cost, it doesn’t have to be even across the board), then it’s already more or less breakeven. This doesn’t factor in the fact that the $32.6 trillion figure assumes continued inflation while my number does not. It also does not look at cost-savings like not having to worry about hospitals having costly billing departments and all the waste that could be removed from there. It doesn’t factor in cost-savings from the government now negotiating down drug prices like what happens in many other developed nations (like France), nor does it factor in other efficiencies that would be generated. Throw in free college education and, among other things, you can lower the salaries of doctors and nurses and have them be just as well off, and factor in tort reform that will reduce healthcare costs by about 2%, and it’s not impossible that, while taxes will be higher, the average American will see their wallets become fatter.

    • He is definitly progressive, democrats views have just changed so drastically to the point its almost crazy. Like where you gonna get the 18 trillion to pay for free healthcare? You gonna tax China?

    • He said he’s against a wall so that definitely is not in line with Republican views. I pray to God that he is elected to bring this country back together again.

    • The tax cut didn’t just go to the top 1%. I got one and I’m not in the top 1%. Furthermore …the tax cut also went to anyone making less than 25,000. If you make less than that you don’t pay any tax. Thanks Trump

    • +damncows im in the middle class and i got a tax cut. Why haven’t you? I see it on every check. You must either live in NY or CA. If so, id suggest moving. Why pay more?

    • +damncows It’s simple,really. Everyone is sick and tired of the bickering and lies going on with both sides, and now even hard core members on both sides are ready to put their support behind someone who sounds reasonable and down to earth, and whose policies are grounded in common sense, like this guy. 80% of the Media lying 90% of the time isn’t helping matters any either. If Howard Schultz runs, he will win over millions of Democrats and Republicans. I will definitely vote for this man for the simple reason that I’ve had enough, as many have. And I am a 100% supporter of the current President. If Howard Schultz runs, this President will lose 100% of my support in a heartbeat. Get used to hearing “Schultz 2020”. Blue Wave? Red Wave? How about a bucket of ice water in the face called Howard Schultz!!!

    • +steve harrigan I know I know, it’s broke, so throw it away. And this both sides thing is bullshit. Also, you are an delusional idiot to think he will win let alone run.

    • +Face2wake it’s not bout silencing but media giving free media coverage worth billions of dollars to a bad candidate just sacrifices the will of the people

    • The Anti Alternate Reality the will of what people? You do know not everyone agrees with you right? And yes, it is about silencing the other side for “progressives”. You don’t want CNN to put someone on that doesn’t tow the leftist line. You don’t see people on the right rioting when left wing speakers go to colleges do you? You don’t see hundreds of people in MAGA hats at Democrats speeches do you? You don’t see Republican senators calling for the opposition to be chased out of public places do you?

    • No.. this guy should run… he should run and get people and companies to donate millions for his campaign.

      I say this … because no real person is going to vote for this dude. and if they will, they might vote for something worst.

      The only way to win against bad ideas are better ideas.. his ideas is just using Mitt Romney’s old idea that Obama recycled

  2. Does anyone find it ironic that it’s only the filthy rich billionaires who want to keep medical care and education away from the working/middle class? They might have to run for President in order to prevent their billions being taxed .Agent Orange lowered the bar and got away with it. So far.

    • +Vincent Sample I see what you are saying. Rich is only bad if they are Republicans. That’s the kind of silly hypocritical bullshit we expect from you left loon dopes.

  3. He’s a rich corporate shill! Oh, we can afford to drop billions of dollars worth of bombs in the sand halfway around the world but oh no we can’t spend anything to give people health care… If he agrees with the GOP so much then he should run as one!!!!

    • Would you rather drop bombs so as not to get bombed, or pay for your healthcare and then get bombed yourself? Its not a tough one.

  4. As a European I can assure you that healthcare for all is affordable. No country spend more on healthcare per capital than the US and still it doesn’t cover everyone. It just doesn’t make any sense at all.

    • +Face2wake How is this not an example of corporate corruption destroying a government program through false compromises? How do you arrive at such stupid conclusions and with a smugness as if it represents objective reality? How do you dismiss the fact that prices were already skyrocketing? You do realize that private corporations have been funneling money from the public research and development of medical and science since forever while claiming they are the innovators? They aren’t innovators, they’re owners. Capital advantage and exploitation at it’s best. That’s what’s wrong with healthcare. Third world countries have better healthcare than the United States. There is nothing within a profit structure that aligns well with public health, no way to reconcile the system we have. How do you allow yourself to be so confused?

    • +Face2wake I was libertarian(thank god I grew out of that mathematical fallacy)before I was left of center and I don’t really have ‘beliefs’, in fact many of my leanings would be considered right of center. I tend to observe plain evidence and go from there. You have beliefs and faith in a supply side hierarchy that modern society overthrew in the 40’s and you think you’ve discovered some kind of enlightenment. The socialism your so scared of is actually not even that. Social democratic systems are pretty prevalent in the western world and they tend to have cheaper and better health outcomes than this undereducated country. Get over yourself and dig a little deeper. Your probably a climate change denier too.

    • Jeremy Lynch premiums were rising at a rate of 10% on average for the four years before Obamacare. They rose at 60% 2013-2017. So no they were not rising at nearly the same rate before Obamacare. The US has pretty good healthcare. It is just expensive. You say they do not innovate. But they do. The US has innovated over half of the worlds new medicines over the last decade. The Democrats new Obamacare was going to fail. That was their intention. They used it as a means to an end. That end being socialized healthcare or “Medicare for all”. That is why they jumped on it so fast. The Democrats ridiculed Bernie for years for his Medicare for all ideas. They new they wanted it. But the American people were not properly groomed to accept it yet. They had to come out with a plan that would fail first. They used an old Republican model that the Republicans threw in the trash because they new it wouldn’t work. That way when it failed they could blame Republicans. It has all been one big scene to grab more power for the government. You and half of the country fell for it. Have a nice life.

    • +Face2wake …and your a conspiracy troller. I’ve paid for health insurance for over a decade, I don’t need you to paint the picture for me.

    • Jeremy Lynch Lol I have said the exact same thing. I used to be a leftist. Looks like we traded. I will admit it is a conspiracy theory. Seems pretty legit to me though. Like I said, they ridiculed Bernie for years and years about his healthcare plan. Now the Democrats are going full social medicine. Did they just see the light? Not in my opinion. But we are all entitled to our own. Have a nice life. It is the wife’s baby shift so I am going to bed.

    • I’m pretty sure he is Christian, most greedy conservatives are Christians, I have a friend who is Christian conservative and is greedy

  5. either we start charging people for police and fire services
    or we make medical services same as they work.
    of, for and by the people.
    why can’t hospitals be treated like fire stations or police stations? (totally free to those in need)

    • Because police give them control while healthcare would empower the masses. Fahrenheit 451 wasn’t that far off except like Al Gore writes, the government does not have to dumb people down to have control over them, the people are dumbing themselves by watching reality TV.

  6. Another out of touch with reality billionaire. I wonder how much of his money is invested in big pharma and insurance companies.

    • Agree. And Americans should know by now to never trust left-leaning politicians or the Democrats on healthcare. They should remember Obama’s massive lies on the ACA were Politifacts “Lie of the Year” for 2013.

      The Dems seem to get a lot of votes based on lies and spreading unreasonable fear. And they get even more votes promising ‘free’ stuff. Smart Americans know our tax rate is very low in comparison to other developed countries.

      For example, that “free” healthcare in Denmark comes with an overall tax rate of about 50%! And all examples of “free” college tuition in other countries only happens with similarly high tax rates.

      Bottom line…people need to ask themselves whether they want to pay much higher taxes so EVERYONE gets more “free” stuff…or do they want much lower taxes and the option to choose which programs and services they want to pay for.

    • +hugh jorgan, you are correct the U.S. Voters must decide if they want to support a “social responsibility” democracy model where provisions via taxation are created to take care of our children, our elders, our disabled, our wounded veterans. A social responsibility democratic model that could provide us all with protections against common financial hardships like loss of income, loss of health, loss of physical functionality. No, not to be confused with socialism where government controls the wealth. A society capable of sacrifice for the greater good. Maybe that ship has sailed! Deferred gratification is not popular in this era of instant everything. But putting it up for a vote would leave us with no doubt.

    • +Daniel Jones Clever, but we can all read the Constitution and see who is trying to violate it constantly. It isn’t Trump supporters.

    • +RealityCalling Trump supporters and conservatives in general constantly try to define and violate the rights of others. They are the ones telling people who they can marry, who they can be in a relationship with, which bathrooms they can or can’t use, who can vote (not anymore but in the past), whose religion should be respected while others aren’t, what women can or cannot do with their bodies, and so much more. Sorry but your argument has been built out of sand.

    • +Daniel Jones Trump supporters give precisely zero fucks about who you marry, unless you are trying to marry a child. The religious right are the demographic courted by Republicans driving that policy opinion, and it’s no longer an issue as the SCOTUS has ruled and there’s no sign of an amendment to change it, because so few people care. I voted for get marriage in CA, FYI.

      It was Obama who tried to force businesses and schools to change who can use what bathroom. I did see one state try to fight that with law, which is wrong. Two wrongs don’t make a right, but the one who strikes first is definitely more guilty.

      A fetus is a genetically unique human being, not the woman’s body. She is a caretaker of the child.

      No one is forcing women to get pregnant a’la The Handmaid’s Tale. That’s just a leftist fever dream they put into a show because they conflate protecting the unborn from their careless and selfish mothers as being tantamount to rape, because they are fucking insane.

      Do you have any more bullshit strawmen that need to be burned down, or is that enough?

  7. Mr. Shultz seems to have forgotten about the Koch funded right wing think tank study that concluded that Medicare For All would cost Americans $32 trillion dollars over the first 10 years and that we’d spend over $35 trillion without it. We can afford it, he just doesn’t want to pay a fair amount of taxes for the first time since he became wealthy.

  8. Unaffordable? Because drug companies charge 1000 times too much for drugs? Nah, this is America, where we steal from the poor to give to the rich

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