Intelligence Squared U.S. Debates "Replace Private Insurance with Medicare for All" in NYC and Online September 17

Few subjects divide the Democratic presidential candidates as much as so-called "Medicare for All." But what does Medicare for All really mean, and what would its implications be for the American health care system and consumers? On Tuesday, September 17, Intelligence Squared U.S. drills beneath the campaign sound bites with a live debate on the motion "Replace Private Insurance with Medicare for All."

Each team pairs a licensed physician with a political advocate. Arguing in favor of the motion are Dr. Adam Gaffney, President of Physicians for a National Health Program, and Joseph Sanberg, progressive entrepreneur and earned income tax credit champion. Arguing against them and against the motion are Pacific Research Institute President Sally Pipps and Reason editor-at-large Nick Gillespie.

The "Replace Private Insurance with Medicare for All" debate will be held at NYC's Kaye Playhouse and stream live online, then air soon after as part of the syndicated public radio show and podcast "Intelligence Squared U.S." On September 17, online viewers can tune in at IQ2US's website: https://www.intelligencesquaredus.org

WHAT: Intelligence Squared U.S. Debates "Replace Private Insurance with Medicare for All"

WHEN: Thursday, September 17 / 7:00-8:45 PM EDT

WHERE: The Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College, 115 E. 68th Street, New York, NY

TICKETS: $40 ($12 for students w/ ID). To purchase, visit http://www.intelligencesquaredus.org/

Arguing For the Motion

* Dr. Adam Gaffney: President, Physicians for a National Health Program

Dr. Gaffney is a pulmonary specialist at Cambridge Health Alliance at Harvard Medical School and is president of Physicians for a National Health Program (PNHP). He is also chair of the Massachusetts chapter of PNHP and co-chair of the Working Group on Single-Payer Program Design, which developed the “Physicians’ Proposal for Single-Payer Health Care Reform,” recently published at the American Journal of Public Health. Dr. Gaffney is a prolific writer and blogger on health policy, frequently appears on radio, and is the author of “To Heal Humankind: The Right to Health in History.”

* Joseph Sanberg: Co-Founder, Aspiration & Chair, CalEITC4Me 

Joseph Sanberg is a progressive entrepreneur who works through both the public and private sectors to improve public policy with the aim of ending poverty and making people’s lives better. Sanberg has been one of the nation’s leading advocates for the earned-income tax credit (EITC) for low-income families, and in 2015, he successfully lobbied legislators in his home state of California to create the state’s first EITC. A founding investor of Blue Apron, Sanberg also serves on the board of the Economic Innovation Group and the Jefferson Awards Foundation.

Arguing Against the Motion

* Sally Pipes: CEO & President, Pacific Research Institute

Sally C. Pipes is president and chief executive officer of the Pacific Research Institute (PRI), a San Francisco-based think tank founded in 1979, where she is also the Thomas W. Smith fellow in health care policy. Prior to becoming president of PRI in 1991, she was assistant director of the Fraser Institute, based in Vancouver, Canada. She is a frequent contributor to major news sources, including the bi-weekly health care column “Piping Up” for Forbes.com. Pipes is a prolific author on healthcare trends and policy, including “Miracle Cure: How to Solve America’s Health Care Crisis and Why Canada Isn’t the Answer,” “The Truth About ObamaCare,” and forthcoming “False Premise, False Promise: The Disastrous Reality of Medicare for All.”

* Nick Gillespie: Editor at Large, Reason

Nick Gillespie is editor-at-large of Reason, the libertarian magazine of "free minds and free markets," co-host of the Reason Podcast, and principal interviewer at Reason TV. A two-time finalist for digital National Magazine Awards, he is co-author, with Matt Welch, of “The Declaration of Independents: How Libertarian Politics Can Fix What's Wrong With America.” His work has appeared in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Time, and he is a frequent guest on CNN, C-SPAN, Fox News, MSNBC, NPR, and other networks.

ABOUT INTELLIGENCE SQUARED U.S. DEBATES (IQ2US)

A non-partisan, non-profit organization, Intelligence Squared U.S. was founded in 2006 to address a fundamental problem in America: the extreme polarization of our nation and our politics. Their mission is to restore critical thinking, facts, reason, and civility to American public discourse. The award-winning debate series reaches millions of viewers and listeners through through multi-platform distribution, including radio, live streaming, podcasts, interactive digital content, and on-demand apps on Roku and Ap. With over 160 debates and counting, Intelligence Squared U.S. has encouraged the public to "think twice" on a wide range of provocative topics. Author and ABC News correspondent John Donvan has moderated IQ2US since 2008.

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