WASHINGTON, Feb. 27, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- National Nurses
United (NNU) announced its strong support for the new Medicare for
All Act of 2019, introduced today by Representative Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), with backing from more
than 100 members of Congress.
"As the largest union of registered nurses in the country, we
could not be more proud of Rep. Jayapal for leading the way on this
legislation that will change and save our patients' lives. This
bill is not only the most comprehensive Medicare for All act we
have seen to date, but it is being introduced at a time when a
majority of Americans are fed up with incremental tweaks to the
current broken system and are demanding Medicare for All. It's the
right bill, at the right moment—and now we are organizing an
unprecedented grassroots movement to demand that our elected
officials support this legislation," said NNU Executive Director
Bonnie Castillo, RN.
"Today in America, 30 million people are uninsured. 40
million are underinsured. We have the most expensive health care
system in the world and yet our outcomes are the worst of all
industrialized countries. I and the more than 100 cosponsors of
this bill refuse to allow this to continue. It's time to put
people's health over profit," said Rep. Japayal, emphasizing that
the bill "will cover everyone."
WHAT:
|
Introduction of
Medicare For All Act of 2019
|
WHERE:
|
House
Triangle
|
WHEN:
|
Wednesday,
February 27th 2019, 11:15AM ET
|
|
The event will
stream live here.
|
"Healthcare is a human right. We will need every single person
in the country to help us, to stand with us, to organize and to
fight for this," Jayapal continued. "Because the industry lobby is
going to pour hundreds of millions of dollars into killing this
bill, saying it costs too much, scaring you into thinking you're
giving up something, pitting the healthy against the sick and the
young against the old. It's time to ensure that healthcare is a
right and not a privilege, guaranteed to every single person in our
country. It is time for Medicare for All."
Medicare for All Act of 2019 highlights include:
- The most comprehensive list of services covered, of any bill
to date—including primary care, hospital care, women's
reproductive health services, dental, vision, mental health,
substance abuse treatment, prescription drugs, long term service
and supports, the cost of transportation for disabled and
low-income patients, and more.
- Guaranteed, universal coverage for every resident of this
country.
- Real choice; no narrow networks, and you can keep your
doctor, hospital and other providers if you move or lose your
job.
- No copays or deductibles for any part of the
program.
- Long term care for the disabled and elderly, with
prioritization of home and community-based services and
supports.
- A two-year transition period. In the first year
after enactment, everyone over 55 and under 19 would be fully
covered by Medicare, and two years after enactment, all Americans
would be covered.
- Drug pricing reforms to drastically reduce the
outrageously high costs of prescription medications in the United States.
- A focus on improving health care in rural and underserved
communities through providing a special projects fund devoted
to the building and staffing of new health care facilities in rural
and underserved areas.
A recent Reuters-Ipsos poll showed 70 percent of respondents
support Medicare for All, with 85 percent support among Democrats
and 52 percent of Republicans supporting. According to nurses, who
have for decades led the grassroots movement for Medicare for All,
the next step is to continue growing support among the American
public and to lobby representatives for the new bill's passage.
In early February, National Nurses United sponsored Medicare for
all "barnstorm" mass organizing meetings, across the United States, aimed at kickstarting
action on Medicare for All in local communities. Over 150
events were held across the country, attended by 5,000
people—and resulting in 1,500 canvasses scheduled over the coming
weeks. RNs say this surge of everyday people getting involved with
knocking on doors and calling their legislators will continue
growing the movement until the people's will becomes the political
will to pass Medicare for All.
"Our patients are paying for our current, broken system with
their life savings—and their actual lives," said NNU copresident
Jean Ross, RN. "One third of all Go
Fund Me campaigns are created to pay for medical expenses. It's
time for an end to the unconscionable choices are patients are
forced to make, between paying for rent, food or medical care. The
mass surge of public support for Medicare for All we've seen
recently says that people across the country want real reform, now,
and together, we will get this bill across the finish line."
Supporting organizations: National Nurses United,
Physicians for a National Health Program, Social Security Works,
Center for Popular Democracy, Public Citizen, Labor Campaign for
Single Payer, AIDS Healthcare Foundation, Amalgamated Transit
Union, American Federation of Teachers, American Medical Students
Association, American Postal Workers Union, Association of Flight
Attendants, Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees, Business
Initiative for Health Policy, Center for Popular Democracy Action,
Coalition of Labor Union Women, Credo Action, Daily Kos,
Debs-Jones-Douglass Institute, Democracy for America, Democratic
Socialists of America, Demos, Faith in Healthcare, Health Care Now,
Indivisible, International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees,
International Association of Machinists & Aerospace Workers,
International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers,
Just Care USA, MoveOn, National
Economic and Social Rights Initiative, National Health Care for the
Homeless Council, National Union of Healthcare Workers,
New York State Nurses Association,
Other98, Our Revolution, Progressive Democrats of America, People
Demanding Action, People's Action, People's Action Institute,
Service Employees International Union, Ultraviolet Action,
Unitarian Universalist Association, United Electrical Radio and
Machine Workers, Women's March Inc, Working Hero Action.
National Nurses United is the largest union of registered
nurses in the United States, with
over 150,000 members nationwide.
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SOURCE National Nurses United