This was a great interview. Please take the time to watch the whole thing.
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BY RACHEL FRAZIN
"Sen. Warren was on here last week and I asked her about her plans for Medicare for All, and I'm going to ask you the question that I asked her at the risk of being accused of trumpeting Republican talking points," Colbert said. "Is there an increase in taxes on the middle class to pay for Medicare for All or rather where would the tax burden go to pay for that?"
In response, Sanders said there would be a progressive tax, but that health care premiums would be reduced.
“Nobody in America will pay any more premiums, just talked to a woman the other day who pays $1,700 a month, $20,000 a year, gone. No more co-payments, gone, no more out-of-pocket expenses, gone, nobody will go bankrupt,” Sanders responded.
“Now having said that, is health care free? No, it is not,” he added. “So what we do is exempt the first $29,000 of a person’s income, you make less than $29,000, you pay nothing in taxes. Above that, in a progressive way, with the wealthiest people in this country paying the largest percentage, people do pay more in taxes."
He gave an example of someone paying $20,000 in "a tax called a premium for the insurance companies" now having to pay a $10,000 government tax instead.
"You’re $10,000 to the good, you would ask me where do I sign up for that?” Sanders said.
"We are covering all basic health care needs. Medicare is a very strong program and all I want to do ... is expand it to everybody and include dental care, hearing aids and eyeglasses, and home health care as well," said Sanders. "The overwhelming majority of the American people will be paying less for health care than they are today."