Is Medicare for all the answer to affordable health care?
“Health care is a human right and it’s past time that we pass Medicare for All to ensure that every American has access to quality, affordable health care, regardless of zip code or tax bracket,” said Sen. Padilla. “No American should go bankrupt because of exorbitant medical costs. Congress can and must act to better control health care costs.”
How many Americans support Medicare for all?
Seventy percent of Americans support Medicare for All, according to recent polls from HarrisX and Reuters. The Medicare for All Act of 2019 would ensure that Americans could go to the doctor of their choice and get the care they need, when they need it, without going into debt.
How much would Medicare for all save the economy?
However, according to the Congressional Budget Office, Medicare for All would save $650 billion each year, improve the economy, and eliminate all out-of- pocket health care costs. Other studies, such as from experts at Yale University, estimate it could save upwards of $450 billion per year.
Is Medicare for all a right?
As our nation heals from a public health crisis that has shone a stark light on the disparities that have long existed in our health care system, our answer is clear: Medicare for All. I am proud to cosponsor this important legislation to make universal, affordable health coverage a right for every American.”
See more
How did Bernie Sanders' legislation transform the country's health care system?
Sanders’ legislation fundamentally transforms the country’s dysfunctional health care system by eliminating profit-driven health insurance corporations and instead covering every resident through an improved Medicare plan at far lower cost to working families and the nation as a whole.
How many senators introduced Medicare for All?
Sanders, 14 Senators Introduce Medicare for All. WASHINGTON, April 10 – Sen. Bernie Sanders and 14 of his Democratic colleagues introduced the Medicare for All Act of 2019 Wednesday to guarantee health care to every American as a right, not a privilege.
How would Medicare save the American people money?
Studies from the Rand Corporation and even the conservative Mercatus Center have found that a Medicare-for-all, single-payer system would save the American people money by reducing rising health care spending and significantly lowering administrative costs. In addition to the legislation, Sanders released a paper outlining several options for funding the Universal Medicare Program.
What percentage of Americans support Medicare?
Seventy percent of Americans support Medicare for All, according to recent polls from HarrisX and Reuters. The Medicare for All Act of 2019 would ensure that Americans could go to the doctor of their choice and get the care they need, when they need it, without going into debt.
How would Medicare save money?
Studies from the Rand Corporation and even the conservative Mercatus Center have found that a Medicare-for-all, single-payer system would save the American people money by reducing rising health care spending and significantly lowering administrative costs.
What will Bernie Sanders do when he is in the White House?
When Bernie is in the White House, he will fight to make sure that no one in America goes bankrupt because of medical debt and will eliminate all past due medical debt in this country.
What did Bernie Sanders do as president?
As president, Bernie will: Reform the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005 to use the existing bankruptcy court system to provide relief for those with burdensome medical debt. Eliminate means testing requirements to file for bankruptcy.
What is medical debt?
Medical debt is the leading type of debt reported to credit agencies. More than 46 million Americans have at least one unpaid medical bill that has been sent to a collection agency on their credit report. Many hospitals, including many non-profit and public hospitals, aggressively sue low-income patients for medical bills incurred through no fault of their own. Some have even filed lawsuits against their own employees to collect unpaid medical bills.
What was the bankruptcy abuse prevention and consumer protection act of 2005?
The so-called Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005 was a disastrous piece of legislation that benefited Wall Street and the credit card companies while causing severe economic pain and financial distress for ordinary Americans throughout the country.
What percentage of bankruptcies are medical?
Right now, medical debt is the leading cause of consumer bankruptcy in America. In fact, 66.5 percent of all bankruptcies are connected to medical issues — both because of the skyrocketing cost of care, and because of a patient’s time away from work and the subsequent expenses and lack of income. Studies show that 500,000 people are bankrupted by medical expenses each and every year — and the true number may be far higher.
How many people are in poverty due to medical bills?
Last year alone, 8 million people were pushed into poverty due to medical expenses.
Why do people skip medical treatment?
Nearly half of Americans fear a major medical event could lead to their bankruptcy, according to Gallup, and one out of every four people in America said that sometime in the past year they had skipped medical treatment because of concerns about cost.