By Daniella Diaz and Maeve Reston
Sen. Elizabeth Warren has been using new, notable language at her town halls to describe the transition into “Medicare for All” — saying, under her plan, it would be a voter’s “choice” to opt in.
While the language is already a part of her transition proposal, it’s a notable rhetorical shift on Warren’s part after her moderate Democratic rivals — namely South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg — have criticized her plan that would eventually eliminate private health insurance.
For the last two weeks, Warren has described the transition into her Medicare For All plan as a “choice” for Americans to try it. A new Fox News Poll released Sunday showed that support for government-run healthcare has dropped by double-digits among Democrats since October.
At her town halls, Warren frequently fields questions from voters who tell her they’ve heard worries from friends or family about giving up their current private insurance.
During a stop in Keokuk, Iowa, on Monday morning, 54-year-old Camille Anderson told Warren she was a fan of her Medicare for all plan, “but I keep hearing from people who are afraid, (a), of the cost and, (b), that they’re not going to be able to get the care they need or see the doctor that they want with your plan. Is there something you can say to alleviate their concerns and their fears?”
After a lengthy explanation of how her plan would work, the Massachusetts senator emphasized to Anderson that she believes Americans will embrace the plan once they see it in action.