People's Action Endorses Reps. Jayapal and Dingell Medicare for All Reintroduction in House

People's Action today endorsed the reintroduction of Medicare for All by Reps. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., and Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., in the House of Representatives. People's Action member organizations helped secure original congressional cosponsors and secured the inclusion of coverage for harm-reduction strategies and expansion of mental health benefits in the bill. People's Action also hosted a Medicare for All teach-in with Dr. Abdul El-Sayed and Dr. Micah Johnson to continue building grassroots support for this legislation.

"Everyone deserves health care--pandemic or not--and Medicare for All can get us there," People's Action Health Care for All Campaign Director Connie Huynh said. "Our movement is growing and we have widespread, grassroots support. We applaud Reps. Jayapal and Dingell, who are champions for everyday people and haven't given up on ensuring we all can get the health care we need. Other representatives who have not cosponsored continue to risk lives to pad the wallets of corporate America during this pandemic. We need Congress to put people before profits and support Medicare for All."

"Maintaining health care coverage and actually getting health care has been a constant battle for me, through deaths in my family, changed jobs, and losses of income. I have had to fight with every step of the way, and the stress is enormous," Rights and Democracy New Hampshire Leader Jodi Newell said. "There are plenty of other things to worry about in this world-affording a doctor's visit or medical emergency in order to live shouldn't be one of them."

"I'm worried about getting kicked off my parents insurance the minute I turn 26. I can't afford therapy and medication on my own because it's so expensive, and my employer does not provide stable health insurance," ONE Northside Leader Chloe Adamo said. "Over the pandemic, my partner went almost a year without health care because their job does not provide it, either. Under Medicare for All, neither of us would have to worry about any of this, and I could just focus on my mental health needs."

Specifically, the Medicare for All Act of 2021 would:

• Provide comprehensive benefits and freedom of choice of doctors and hospitals for everyone residing in the United States (including all primary care, hospital and outpatient services, dental, vision, audiology, women's reproductive health services, maternity and newborn care, long-term services and supports, prescription drugs, mental health and harm reduction strategies, laboratory and diagnostic services, ambulatory services, and more);
• End private insurance premiums, co-pays, or deductibles;
• Support people with disabilities and older Americans with long-term care services;
• Reduce health care spending while improving care;
• Decrease costs of prescription drugs; and
• Extend health care coverage to veterans and Native Americans.

Now that over half of the Democratic Caucus in the House supports the legislation, People's Action will continue to grow support while holding health care corporations accountable for their continued abuses and attempts to block transformational reforms that would keep everyone healthy.