Medicare for All Will Benefit Everyone--Seniors Most of All

The following is a statement from Nancy Altman, President of Social Security Works, on the introduction of the Medicare for All Act of 2022:

"Medicare is at a crossroads. One path forward is for the ongoing backdoor privatization of Medicare to continue until the program as we know it ceases to exist. The other path, represented by the Medicare for All Act of 2022, is for Congress to improve Medicare and expand it to cover everyone in America.

Opponents of Medicare for All often try to cynically pit seniors against younger Americans. But the truth is that seniors have the most to gain from the Sanders bill. The legislation adds the vital benefits of hearing, dental, and vision coverage to Medicare. Importantly, it eliminates co-pays, premiums, and deductibles, which currently force many seniors to delay or even forgo needed care.

Medicare for All will make Medicare even more efficient, secure, economical, and reliable. Instead of the government covering only the oldest and sickest Americans, everyone will be in the same risk pool. Even conservative analyses show that Medicare for All will lower the nation's health care costs. Moreover, expanding Medicare to cover everyone will make it politically stronger, as well.

The COVID pandemic is a sobering reminder that we don't live in a vacuum. None of us are secure unless all of us have guaranteed high-quality health care. We will all benefit from living in a country where public health is a right, not a privilege. To transform America into that country, we need Medicare for All.

For all these reasons, Social Security Works enthusiastically endorses the Medicare for All Act of 2022."