KATE WALSH says she favors Medicaid for all, not Medicare for all.
It’s not a political slogan you hear much these days, but Walsh, the president and CEO of Boston Medical Center, has a unique perspective since so many of her hospital’s patients are on Medicaid.
“I actually think Medicaid is the most important insurance plan in the country,” she said, noting that it covers roughly 79 million mostly poor and elderly Americans and provides them with coverage for long-term care, medicine, behavioral health, and substance abuse. Every state offers Medicaid, so there is opportunity for local customization of insurance offerings.
“Why I’m a Medicaid for all person is it’s a public option that works for the public,” she said.” I think Medicare for all is a much better political slogan and I’m afraid it’s just that.”
On the Health or Consequences Codcast with John McDonough of the T.H. Chan School of Public Health at Harvard University and Paul A. Hattis of Tufts University Medical School, Walsh said the issue that keeps her up at night is “the dissatisfaction most Americans have with our health care system.”
