Arizona Chamber Foundation Releases Policy Brief on Fiscal Impact of “Medicare for All” in Arizona

Policy Brief Finds Fiscal Impact Could Cost Arizona Taxpayers $45 Billion

Phoenix (October 12) – The Arizona Chamber Foundation released a Policy Brief today examining the fiscal impact of a “Medicare for All” plan in Arizona and found that the state would need to raise $4.3 billion to provide health care for the current 667,000 Arizonans who are uninsured. Costs would skyrocket if a “Medicare for All” plan included every Arizonan.

“A simple analysis using basic assumptions on how such programs are managed tell us ‘Medicare for All’ is a bridge too far,” the policy brief states. “Indeed, catastrophically too far for Arizona taxpayers with estimates going as high as $45 billion annually.”

According to the Policy Brief, which was prepared by the Rounds Consulting Group, the state would need to double the state sales tax rate or income tax rate for all taxpayers to provide Medicare for all uninsured Arizonans.

“The depressed economic growth would result in fewer tax collections, thus requiring another round of tax increases. There does not appear to be an economic scenario where this proposal will not cause irreparable fiscal harm to the state within one or two years,” according to the policy brief.

If government-funded health care was extended to all Arizona residents, the $45 billion price tag would immediately cause the program to become insolvent.

This paper comes after the concept of “Medicare for All” – a proposal to expand the federal Medicare program to everyone regardless of health care coverage status – has made its way from Washington D.C. to Arizona.

“There does not exist an economic scenario where the implementation of ‘Medicare for All’ is fiscally feasible,” the policy brief concluded.

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About the Arizona Chamber Foundation
The Arizona Chamber Foundation is a non-profit, objective educational and research foundation. We are committed to a non-partisan, research-driven approach that analyzes the issues impacting Arizona’s economy. It houses the A for Arizona and Chamber Business News initiatives. Find out more at www.azchamberfoundation.org.