Be careful when you hear someone is in favor of “Medicare for All”
As we get into election season, you will hear from many politicians that they support “Medicare for All”.
However, something really unsettling is happening.
The H.R. 676 “Medicare for All” bill which used to the gold standard in Medicare for All legislation is being rewritten. In fact a new bill now carries the H.R. 676 designation, a bill in support of NATO.
This is particularly upsetting since Democrats are in charge of the House, and the Medicare for All single payer bill is being rewritten, watered down and renumbered.
“For the past 16 years, HR 676 was our gold standard bill defining a national improved Medicare for All single payer healthcare system for the United States… It was based on the 2003 Physicians Working Group proposal by Physicians for a National Health Program… Now that the Democrats can no longer ignore that their base is demanding a single payer health system, we have lost both HR 676 by number and its status as the gold standard. From what we have heard, as we have still not seen the text of the draft as promised, the new health bill being written by Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (D-Washington) has an unnecessarily long transition period and maintains the for-profit providers in the system. The delayed transition means more preventable deaths and suffering. Keeping the for-profits means higher costs and lower quality of care.” -Margaret Flowers of Health Over Profit for Everyone.
And to make things worse: Jayapal’s bill is being written behind closed doors.
Last month, single payer advocates called on Jayapal to share the draft text of HR 676 with the single payer movement for review and input. To this day (January 30th 2019) She has refused.
It is then up to the American public to demand their politicians to keep the main requirements of the bill: To free the american public of private insurance companies managing their healthcare, and the protection of every american.
Stay informed, and don’t let political corruption prevent you from getting the healthcare America needs.