Phil Winter Henderson

October 9, 2026 - 9:00 pm

mericans support “Medicare for All.” I understand why. Americans are frustrated with premiums, deductibles, prescription costs and a health-care system that sometimes seems impossible to understand. But before we promise Medicare to every American, I have a basic question: What will it cost?

I’m already on Medicare. Between Medicare and my Medicare Advantage coverage, about $433 a month comes out of my Social Security benefits for health coverage. That’s more than $5,000 a year before other out-of-pocket expenses. I’m not complaining about paying for health care. Doctors, nurses, hospitals and medications cost money. But calling something “government-paid” doesn’t make it free. Ultimately, taxpayers pay the bill.

Would today’s insurance premiums disappear only to be replaced by higher taxes? Would employers still contribute? And when everything is added together, would the average American actually spend less?

The poll contains another important finding: Support drops when people are told Medicare for All would replace private health insurance. That suggests we need to discuss the tradeoffs, not just the benefits.

Then there’s Medicare itself. My “Annual Notice of Change” this year was 31 pages long. Add Medicare Advantage, Part D, formularies, provider networks and enrollment periods, and it’s already bewilderingly complicated.

Universal health coverage deserves serious debate. But before fundamentally restructuring American health care, show us the numbers. What will it cost, who will pay for it and will Americans actually be better off?