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El-Sayed Proposes Single-Payer To Make Health Care Universal

Abdul El-Sayed
Abdul El-Sayed
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Democratic gubernatorial candidate Abdul El-Sayed is proposing a single-payer health care system to provide medical insurance to every Michigan resident until age 65.

He calls it "Michicare."

El-Sayed says Michigan's health insurance system is "broken" and nearly 600,000 people lack coverage while costs spiral out of control.

He says his plan would save an average family almost $5,000 a year and relieve businesses from having to provide health insurance unless they want to offer supplemental coverage.

He proposes funding the plan through a new tax on a quarter of Michigan's businesses and raising the state's flat 4.25 percent personal income tax to between 5 percent and 8 percent depending on one's income.

El-Sayed, one of three Democrats running, unveiled his proposal Wednesday at a news conference in Detroit.

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