Bernie Sanders talks health care with Thom Hartmann

By GottaLaff

Liveblogging Senator Bernie Sanders on the Thom Hartmann Show:

There is not the will in the Senate to combat our health care problems. We don't have 60 votes to do the right thing... We can't even bring forward a strong public option... where most major countries on earth are going... Same with global warming.

It's not the greatest step forward for health care in history... it's a bill that does good things. It begins to address insurance reform...

We should not be naive. This bill will force millions to get health insurance, many will end up with private companies... very little cost containment.... bad news for individuals, business, and the govt. in terms of Medicare and Medicaid.

In the House, to fund the 800 billion, they did the right thing... surtax on wealthier people. That's the right thing to do.

Unfortunately, in the Senate, the language of Cadillac benefit... it'll become Chevrolet in a few years...

The only way to provide comprehensive, cost effective health care is single payer. I'm trying now to intro a bill now, but it will lose. May get 5-10 votes. But it's important to get that debate on the floor.

More of a chance to actually achieve is giving states flexibility to have single payer or other program if they want. There's language that would go into effect 2017, I want it at 2014.

Last issue: We must address primary health care... 40 million have no access to doctors, use emergency rooms. We're trying hard to expand community health centers.

These are some of the issues I'm focusing on.

There's a lot of obstructionism. We're stuck right now on prescription drug reimportation. Americans should be able to get cheaper drugs from Canada. Drug companies are doing everything they can to stop that.

I'll add more as I hear it.