Mike Franken Wants to Militarize Your Health Care
WEST DES MOINES — Today, the Grassley Works campaign announced a new statewide radio advertisement highlighting Mike Franken’s plan to militarize our health care system.
In the advertisement, the narrator explains Franken’s plan “means the government will have full control of your health care, even telling you who your doctor must be.”
Iowa health care professionals have expressed strong opposition to Franken’s plan saying it would “devastate” rural communities and harm access to care:
“Mike Franken’s repeated mention of just how beneficial a plan like TRICARE-for-All (essentially Medicare-for-All) would be seems to be but one of several ill-concealed attempts to move closer and closer to an ultimate goal of replacing this country’s system of economic freedoms with one of socialism.” — Dr. Jack Consamus, Bettendorf
“A massive government takeover of health care will devastate rural hospitals and put many out of business by further eroding the fragile economic conditions we are currently in. The last thing we need is Mike Franken’s socialist health care policies that will increase wait times, reduce access to rural health care, and devastate rural economies.” — Ed Smith, retired President and CEO of St. Anthony Regional Hospital in Carroll
“As a small business owner, health care provider, and wife to a veteran, I know first-hand how important it is to serve our nation’s military and their families. But TRICARE-for-All is wrong for America. This policy would devastate my small business and guarantee reduced access to care for all Americans, including our military families.” — Sandy Norby, physical therapist and CEO/co-founder of Home Town Physical Therapy in Le Mars, Lake Mills, Okoboji, Spencer, and East Village – Des Moines
“TRICARE-for-All sounds good in theory, but it is Medicare-for-All in practice and no single-payer solution is viable.” — Dr. George Kovach, Le Claire
“Make no mistake, TRICARE-for-All or whatever name you give it is another government takeover of health care… Mike Franken’s socialized government health plan will close providers, increase wait times, and reduce care.” — State Representative and retired dentist Dr. Tom Jeneary, Le Mars
Galen Institute President, Grace-Marie Turner, said Franken’s plan would cause “massive disruptions,” kick nearly 1.8 million Iowans off their insurance, and force hospitals, health care practices and facilities to close, especially in rural areas.
BACKGROUND:
At a campaign stop in Winterset, Mike Franken said, “I’m a beneficiary of health care that we have in the United States military, which everybody ought to have… From prenatal care to end-of-life with family, drug care, preventive health, etc. It is the way we should do that. Do that in the United States and it will be less expensive.”
At a campaign stop in Columbus Junction, “I wish everybody in America had the health care that’s available to our veterans. This is what I wish because you will have a higher quality of life. You will live longer, you will have a higher level of productivity, and you won’t waste so much time figuring out who’s on what network, when, when they’re working, when, when can I get in, etc. and how do I pay and how do I cut my pills in half because I can’t afford them. We don’t have that problem in the VA, you know. I wish everybody had our type of health care.”
On Iowa Press hosted by Iowa PBS, Mike Franken said, “I think we oughta have the type of healthcare that I had in 40 years in the military. So did my family. That permitted us to live this full and really committed life. Preventive, dental, sight. Even for a special needs daughter. However it mutates into the various words: the Medicare For All, the single payer, universal, et cetera. However it may become, that’s what every American deserves. We will be a more efficient and a healthier population if we take a clue from the U.S Military and just copy the type of healthcare they provide.”
