COVID-19 has taken the lives of at least half a million people in the US. One-third of these deaths are connected to a lack of health insurance.1
In other words: our current for-profit healthcare system is deadly—and the pandemic has made that excruciatingly clear.
On March 17th, exactly one year after the first COVID-19 cases were confirmed in all 50 states, Rep. Pramila Jayapal and Rep. Debbie Dingell introduced the Medicare for All Act of 2021.
As of now, over half the members of the Democratic caucus are co-sponsoring the bill—the most support the bill has ever received. As millions of Americans remain precariously unemployed and uninsured, it’s time to stop protecting private insurance companies and pass the single-payer program working people need.
Sign the petition: Demand universal healthcare—Congress must pass the Medicare for All Act of 2021!
This time last year, as business rapidly shuttered and unemployment rates spiked to unforeseen heights, millions of people lost their health insurance along with their jobs. Those most vulnerable to severe illness were disproportionately low-income people with underlying conditions—a result of a lifetime of precarious healthcare access.
The Medicare for All Act would eliminate private health insurance and require the federal government to establish a single-payer program inclusive of all US residents. Funding Medicare for All is yet another way imposing a Wealth Tax could significantly transform public infrastructure. The legislation would be mostly covered if small tax were paid by the richest of the rich—those who have over $50 million in wealth.2
Recent polling shows that the majority of Americans support a public healthcare plan.3 The pandemic has made it extremely clear just how urgent this legislation is for protecting public health.
Sign the petition: Demand universal healthcare—Congress must pass the Medicare for All Act of 2021!
Sources:
1. Democracy Now, "Report Finds a Third of COVID Deaths Tied to Lack of Insurance as Dems Reintroduce Medicare for All," March 17, 2021.
2. The Intercept, "Medicare for All just got a massive boost," March 19, 2021.
3. KFF, "Tracking Public Opinion on National Health Plan: Interactive" October 16, 2020.