patrick.net

MisterLefty says

Also, the USA is still leading the world in pharma and biotech, a relatively clean and high-paying industry

Primarily supported by taxpayer funded research. The high cost of drugs in the US is strictly because they can. Pharma spends more on lobbying (money very well spent) than research. and more on advertising than research. Most of pharma research is on extending patents on existing drugs.

LeonDurham says

I said that for sure some number of people will pay more, but the overall cost to Americans will be 1/2 of what it is now.

I doubt that you'd find any bona fide analysis to back up your POV. You can of course assume the costs will be similar to costs in EU countries with socialized medicine, i.e., 1/2, but that analysis is very simplistic, and leaves out other possible costs, e.g., increased taxes, etc.

Please consider that socialized medicine was even a third rail issue to Hillary and the Democrat party in general. Bernie was an outsider, and you saw what happened to him.

If this becomes a presidential campaign issue, here is the rhetoric against:

Higher taxes.
Longer wait times.
Death panels!
Look at the UK.
Illegal alien magnet.
Work harder, deadbeats.

For:

Much lower cost.
More money in your paycheck.
No more medical bankruptcies.
More competitive businesses.
Hand it over, fat cats.