Right now, there’s a dire shortage of medical supplies across the country including personal protective equipment (PPE), hospital beds, and ventilators. These shortages are not only putting our health care workers at risk, but also costing patients their lives.
It’s not a coincidence that most hospitals are vastly unprepared and lacking “surge capacity” for moments of crisis like this one. That’s because our current for-profit health care system is designed to make money by cutting corners and skimping on necessary supplies, which comes at the expense of preparedness.
We need a health care system in which hospitals are incentivized to keep plenty of necessary supplies on hand for times of crisis. The only system that will do that, the only system that will put people over profits, is Medicare for All.
As we take immediate action to protect frontline nurses, it’s also important for us to make sure that the world we are building post-COVID is better than the one we left behind. That means addressing our health care crisis head-on.
Most hospitals practice a supply chain model called “just-in-time” production. It keeps costs low, but it also means that they only have the supplies on-hand to get through 72 hours of normal demand.
Right now, hospitals see maintaining a stockpile of extra supplies as “having too many dollars tied up in inventory.” Under Medicare for All, hospitals would receive lump sum payments to cover the entirety of their operating expenses. That means they wouldn’t have to keep PPE, bed, or ventilator capacity low to stay afloat and could stock up on equipment to prepare for crises like this.
Responding to COVID-19 under a Medicare for All system would look a lot different than our current situation. No one would forego seeking out tests or treatment because they can’t afford thousands of dollars in medical bills. Everyone would receive comprehensive treatment, and everyone would be able to be vaccinated once a vaccine was made available.
We’re not the only ones who understand this. In the face of COVID-19, national support for Medicare for All is at a nine-month high.1 Momentum is on our side, but we need to know that you’re with us and committed to this fight.
Thank you for being in this work with us.
Jasmine Ruddy
Organizer
Nurses’ Campaign for Medicare for All
1 - Morning Consult
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