What Abdul El-Sayed has said about Single-payer healthcare
5 quotes · 1 episode · Sep 25, 2026
Abdul El-Sayed, Democratic Senate nominee in Michigan, has been quoted on Single-payer healthcare 5 times in 1 episode of The Ezra Klein Show, most recently on September 25, 2026. Each quote below is verbatim and links to the moment it was said.
In their words
El-Sayed argues that deductibles made private health insurance useless as protection against financial catastrophe.
“The moment somebody created a deductible, the idea of private health insurance became useless”
The Ezra Klein Show: What Does Abdul El-Sayed Believe? (Sep 25, 2026) · Listen from 44:37
El-Sayed suggests drug companies could still innovate if capped at a 15% margin over research and development costs, citing Costco's model.
“imagine prescription drug companies just said, listen, we are going to charge 15% above and beyond the rate of what it costs us”
The Ezra Klein Show: What Does Abdul El-Sayed Believe? (Sep 25, 2026) · Listen from 48:36
El-Sayed envisions Medicare for All as a guaranteed public floor, with private supplemental insurance permitted but largely unnecessary.
“But our goal is to build a floor so high that most folks would be like, why would I?”
The Ezra Klein Show: What Does Abdul El-Sayed Believe? (Sep 25, 2026) · Listen from 53:18
El-Sayed says he would vote for any incremental reform that expands publicly funded coverage and weakens corporate insurers.
“The rubric is simple. It gives more people healthcare through public dollars and disempowers corporate health insurers”
The Ezra Klein Show: What Does Abdul El-Sayed Believe? (Sep 25, 2026) · Listen from 58:00
El-Sayed argues the main obstacle to health reform is industry spending rather than Republican opposition.
“It's not the Republican opposition I'm worried about. It's the industry opposition”
The Ezra Klein Show: What Does Abdul El-Sayed Believe? (Sep 25, 2026) · Listen from 1:02:30
Episodes
What Does Abdul El-Sayed Believe?The Ezra Klein Show · Sep 25, 2026 · 1 h 34 min
Ezra Klein interviews Michigan Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed about his immigrant upbringing, Medicare for All, Islamophobic attacks, and U.S. policy toward Israel and Palestinians.
Others on Single-payer healthcare
- OnlyJayus · 1 quote
- Ezra Klein · 1 quote
- Jon Lovett · 1 quote
- Tom Steyer · 1 quote
Abdul El-Sayed on other topics
- Israeli–Palestinian conflict · 4 quotes
- 2026 United States Senate election in Michigan · 3 quotes
- American Israel Public Affairs Committee · 3 quotes
- U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement · 2 quotes
- Islamophobia in the United States · 2 quotes
- Artificial intelligence · 1 quote
- Mitch McConnell health speculation · 1 quote
- 2026 United States midterm elections · 1 quote