MEDICARE, Happy Birthday! 53 Yrs. It's Time Everyone Had It- Medicare for All
"It’s Medicare’s 53rd Birthday—It’s Time Everyone Had It," Medicare for All is coming. It is coming because it is profoundly wise policy and profoundly winning politics. By Nancy Altman, Common Dreams.
On July 30th, 1965, Medicare became the law of the land. For over a half century, it has stood as a shining example of government at its best. Today, it efficiently provides high-quality health care to nearly 50 million seniors and nearly 9 million Americans with disabilities. After decades of success, Medicare is under attack. The Republican Party wants to destroy Medicare by turning it from a guaranteed benefit into a privatized voucher program where beneficiaries receive inadequate coupons to purchase insurance on the private market.
But Democrats are fighting back in the best possible way: Offering a far superior competing vision. The Democratic Party is increasingly unified around improving Medicare’s benefits and expanding it to cover all of us. It was a Democratic president and a Democratic Congress who created Medicare for seniors. They did so as a first step to Medicare for All. A second important step was taken in 1972, when Medicare was expanded to cover people with disabilities. Now Democratic candidates and incumbents alike are ready to finish the job and extend an improved Medicare to cover everyone else.
"The American people are divided on many issues, but this is not one of them. Sixty-four percent of voters are more likely to back candidates who support expanding Medicare, versus only 22 percent who are less likely."
This past September, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) introduced the Medicare for All Act of 2017 along with 16 Democratic senators, many of whom are likely to run for president in 2020. In the House, the Expanded and Improved Medicare for All Act has 123 co-sponsors, nearly two-thirds of all House Democrats. The recently launched Medicare for All Caucus in the House had over 70 founding members.
The growing momentum behind Medicare for All terrifies Republicans, as it should. It puts the lie to the Republican claim that government is the problem, not the solution. Medicare is more universal, efficient, fair, and secure than private sector health insurance. Expanding it will make it stronger and better. Moreover, Medicare for All represents the will of the people. The American people are divided on many issues, but this is not one of them. Sixty-four percent of voters are more likely to back candidates who support expanding Medicare, versus only 22 percent who are less likely.
In classic Trumpian fashion, Republicans are resorting to blatant lies to attack Medicare for All. Seema Verma, the woman Trump put in charge of Medicare, recently made the outrageous claim that expanding Medicare to cover everyone would hurt seniors. READ MORE, https://www.commondreams.org/views/2018/07/30/its-medicares-53rd-birthday-its-time-everyone-had-it
- Protesters stand together outside the office of Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) asking him to work on a health care policy on April 4, 2017 in Coral Gables, Florida. The group made up of South Florida progressives and activists held the demonstration at the Senators office to ask him to co-sponsor Senator Bernie Sanders' Medicare For All legislation that he will be introducing in the U.S. Senate in the coming days.
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