The same day that Phyllis Davis was laid off, her employer cut off her health insurance.

After working 23 years at a hotel in Philadelphia, she lost not only her entire source of income, but now has to wonder what will happen if she gets sick and can’t see a doctor because she doesn’t have health insurance or a paycheck.

This is the reality for millions of Americans. At the exact time that people need health care the most, millions are losing their health insurance during a global pandemic as a result of our employer-based health care system. It is immoral and unforgivable.

The COVID-19 crisis makes it clear that we must urgently transition from our employer-based health care system to a system of expanded and improved Medicare for All. Will you sign our petition if you agree that health care should be guaranteed and not linked to employment?

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Even those who are still employed with employer-based insurance could see their coverage degraded as their employers rush to cut costs. At the same time, some are estimating that premiums for those with insurance could jump by up to 40% next year.¹

Meanwhile, the largest private health insurance provider in the U.S. announced that it saw a $4.1 billion increase in revenue over the last three months while tens of thousands of people died and millions more lost their coverage.²

This is wrong and 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.³

This is a crisis, but it is also a chance to finally awaken our politicians and move beyond employer-based insurance to Medicare for All. History shows that big societal changes often happen in a crisis, and, if we band together, we can build a better future.

Radical change is possible, but only if we fight for it. Add your name to our national petition if you agree that we must guarantee care for all regardless of job status and enact Medicare for All.

This crisis is exposing some of the fundamental flaws in our health care system. From a patchwork system of unpredictable employment-based health insurance plans to the relentless pursuit of profits at any cost, we cannot go back to the way things were.

We demand protections for working people. We demand Medicare for All.

In solidarity,

Max Cotterill
Organizer
Nurses’ Campaign for Medicare for All

 

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¹ Chicago Tribune: Coronavirus could cause health insurance premiums to spike up to 40 percent next year

² Common Dreams: 'Thriving During a Pandemic': UnitedHealth Group Posts Surge in Profits as Millions Lose Insurance and Thousands Die

³ Morning Consult: As Coronavirus Surges, ‘Medicare for All’ Support Hits 9-Month High