Sen. Kamala Harris backs ending private insurance for 'Medicare for All' option

Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., said she supports "Medicare for All" policies during a CNN town hall Jan. 28, and would consider ending private health insurance.

Ms. Harris announced her bid for the 2020 presidency Jan. 21. When asked by CNN's Jake Tapper if pursuing Medicare for All would mean getting rid of private health insurance, Ms. Harris said she would consider cutting health insurers out of the mix.

"The idea is everyone gets access to medical care," she told Mr. Tapper when asked if Americans who liked their insurance could keep it.

In a recent Kaiser Family Foundation poll, 74 percent of respondents favored implementing a national health insurance program that resembled Medicare, but allowing Americans to keep their private coverage if they like it. Fifty-six percent of respondents said they favor a single government-payer plan.

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