I believe, and I think you do
too, that it is long past time for the United States to join the rest of the
industrialized world in guaranteeing health care as a right to every man,
woman, and child.
Rich or poor, we are all born,
we all get sick, we all have accidents, we all need health care at the end of
our lives, and we all die. And in my view, the function of a sane health care
system in this country should be to keep all of our people well in a cost
effective way, not to make health industry CEOs richer or to drive up the stock
prices on Wall Street.
It wasn't long ago that the
idea of Medicare for All was dismissed and ridiculed by the corporate media and
political establishment in this country. Four years ago, I introduced the bill
and there wasn't a single co-sponsor. We were actually relentlessly attacked
for the idea before the Iowa Caucuses.
But then our political
revolution really gained steam, and it became clear to candidates and elected
officials alike that the American people were on board. They believe that it is
the responsibility of the federal government to provide health care for all as
a right, not a privilege.
And as a result of your
passion, commitment and enthusiasm on this issue, when I introduced my Medicare
for All legislation earlier this year, 16 of my colleagues in the Senate signed
on as co-sponsors. I can tell you that no one would have ever thought that was
possible just a short while ago.
But if we want to add to that
number, our job now is to support those who have come out in favor of our bill
and defend them when they are under attack for doing-so. So I want to ask you
to do something very important for our cause today:
My Republican colleagues in
Congress tell us, over and over again, that we have the "greatest"
health care system in the world.
Really?
Today, 28 million Americans
have no health insurance and many more are underinsured with high deductibles
and co-payments. We pay, by far, the highest prices in the world for
prescription drugs. In fact, millions of Americans can't afford to purchase the
medicine they need.
Too many Americans delay going
to the doctor because of the cost, and too many others are forced into
bankruptcy or financial ruin because of medical bills. It is not a radical idea
to suggest that Americans should be able to get the health care they need, when
they need it. Americans should not be dying because of their financial status.
There are millions of people
who remain on their jobs today, not because they want to be there or enjoy
their work, but because their present employer provides decent health care
benefits - and they have no option.
Today the United States spends
far more per capita on health care than any other nation on Earth. In fact, we
are spending almost twice as much per capita as any other country, while our
health care outcomes are often worse.
Instead of providing quality
care to all in a cost-effective way, our current system is designed to provide
hundreds of billions in profits to insurance companies, the pharmaceutical
industry and medical equipment suppliers.
That system doesn't sound so
"great" to me.
Medicare for All would mean
comprehensive coverage for all Americans. It would cover the entire continuum
of health care: inpatient to outpatient care; preventive to emergency care;
primary to specialty care, including long-term and palliative care; vision,
hearing and oral health care; mental health and substance abuse services; as
well as prescription medications, medical equipment, supplies, diagnostics, and
treatments. Patients will be able to choose a health care provider without
worrying about whether that provider is in-network and will be able to get the
care they need without having to read any fine print or trying to figure out
how they can afford the out-of-pocket costs.
Of course, the insurance companies
and drug companies in this country are extraordinarily powerful and they are
not going down without a fight. They have obscene amounts of wealth and have
used that money to protect a dysfunctional system that allows them to make
billions in profits while leaving far too many Americans behind.
They will spend obscene amounts
of money to stop the movement for Medicare for All, and the candidates and
elected officials who support it. But if we stand together, we will win. That's
why it's so important for me to ask:
It is time to wage a moral and
political war against a dysfunctional health care system in this country. And
that means supporting those who stand with us when they are under attack for
doing so.
Thank you for taking action in
support of our campaign to guarantee health care as a right in this country for
every man, woman and child.
In solidarity,
Bernie Sanders
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