He is talking about the uninsured poor. He is talking about honest payment of those costs rather than hiding them in your hospital bill, doctor bill, or insurance bill.
If he is for YOU and not the uninsured poor, then why does he favor health savings accounts and buying health insurance across state lines?
We all know what the poor did in the past. They flooded the emergency rooms, the emergent care centers, and they were treated under good Samaritan rules. It wasn’t free, so HOW did those places recover those expenses?
FWIW, I think we all agree. We wouldn’t just let someone die on the floor if they dropped from a heart attack and we knew they weren’t covered. We’d call the EMS knowing exactly what would happen to those costs.
Also, more and more we are going to the concept of “Just-In-Time” Employment instead of having steady jobs with companies for years, we do need to find a way to decouple medical insurance from employment.
I remember more than 50 years ago reading an article in a magazine interview of the National Hospital Administrators Council when he admitted they over charged those with health insurance to pay for those that could not pay.
That was a totally illegal transfer of wealth fully condoned by the government and it will continue in one form or another no matter who is elected. I had some stents inserted a few years back and remember that the hospital billed over $125,000.00 but the insurance paid a little over $20,000.00 and it was my responsibility to pay nothing. Where is the real cost determined?