Beto O'Rourke says 'we don't have time' to get Medicare for All

'We’ve got to work with the system that we have here today,' struggling presidential contender says

Beto O’Rourke has said he opposes Medicare for All because people struggling with illness in the US “don’t have time” for such a healthcare system to be put in place.

Addressing an audience at a CNN town hall in Iowa on Tuesday evening, Mr O’Rourke instead touted a less radical plan, dubbed Medicare for America, which would guarantee universal coverage but leave work-based private insurance for those who want it.

It comes as the former Democratic Texas congressman attempts to revive an ailing 2020 presidential campaign, which in recent weeks has seen him fall beneath a raft of rivals in the race for his party’s nomination.

“They don’t have time for us to get to the perfect solution,” Mr O’Rourke said after CNN host Dana Bash asked why he did not support Medicare for All, a national health insurance programme which would cover everyone in the US.

“If we were to start from scratch, maybe we would start with a single payer, but we’ve got to work with the system that we have here today.

“The surest, quickest way to get there is Medicare for America. It guarantees every single person in this country gets the care they need to live to their full potential and do those things they were placed on this planet to perform in the first place.”

While all the major Democratic 2020 candidates support increasing the public’s access to healthcare, there is much disagreement about by how much and how to get there.

The more ambitious Medicare for All is being touted by Bernie Sanders and Kamala Harris, whereas Joe Biden, who currently leads the polls, supports an optional Medicare buy-in, a far less sweeping measure that would keep healthcare essentially structured as it is today.

Mr O'Rourke's CNN appearance was well received by the audience, who frequently cheered his responses to questions. His aides will be hoping the appearance before a national audience will help breathe new life into a candidacy that has been struggling to gain traction.

In recent weeks, Mr O'Rourke has been languishing low down a second tier of Democratic candidates, with his poll numbers falling to between three and five per cent support among likely Democratic primary voters.

He has largely focused on meeting voters in small events, a strategy that has so far had little success. In the past week he has stepped up national television appearances, with interviews on MSNBC, ABC's The View, and Tuesday night's CNN town hall.

Mr O'Rourke rose to national prominence last year when he narrowly lost his bid to defeat Republican US senator Ted Cruz in Texas.

Additional reporting by Reuters