Q. Current estimates are 1.5 trillion to cover everyone. You mentioned 500-600 billion in savings from Medicaid/Medicare, 300 billion from additional revenue, that leaves about 300-600 billion more left. How are we going to raise that to get everyone covered?
A. Proposals include: taxing health benefits, cap deductions, surcharge on high-income individuals, other cuts. This is not an easy problem, especially in this economy. Americans always rise up and overcome. We have parties interested in all aspects of healthcare to cooperate and compromise to make this happen. It won’t be smooth, but we can’t afford not to act so I’m convinced we can get it done this time.
President and audience have agreed to stay over through the ABC Nightline program. Stay tuned.