[1]NNU - Medicare for All!



We’re continuing our email series to refresh you on what Medicare for All
is and how it would work by reviewing [ [link removed] ]the six core MFA principles,
which you can read and share with others here.

Today’s email is focused on the principle of free at the point of service.

As the recent outpouring of insurance denial and medical debt stories
shows, high costs are a core feature of our current, dysfunctional health
care system. Even if someone has insurance coverage, patients often pay
monthly premiums for their plans, and have to meet a deductible before
their insurance company will start paying for services, in addition to
paying copays and/or coinsurance to their providers.

These costs can be barriers to care for many, a phenomenon often referred
to as “underinsurance,” in which an individual might technically have
health insurance, but they still can’t afford to get care because of the
high up-front costs. It is estimated that as many as 44 million people in
the U.S. are underinsured. According to KFF, about half of U.S. adults –
including those with health insurance – say it is difficult to afford
health care costs, and one in four say they or a family member in their
household had problems paying for health care in the past 12 months.^1

[ [link removed] ]KFF Figure 1: Half Of Adults Say It Is Difficult To Afford Health Care
Costs, Including Large Shares Of The Uninsured, Black And Hispanic Adults,
And Those With Lower Incomes

But it doesn’t have to be this way. By establishing a single-payer system,
Medicare for All would mean NO deductibles, copays, coinsurance, premiums,
or other cost-sharing for patients.

Imagine: you show up at the doctor’s office, show them your Medicare card,
and get the care you need — it would be that simple!

You might be wondering who pays for it: the federal government would
finance Medicare for All through a system of progressive taxation so that
corporations and the wealthy pay a greater share and nobody goes without
needed care due to cost.

Medicare for All would also simplify the billing system and reduce
spending on administrative costs. The U.S. currently spends nearly four
times as much on administration ($925 per capita) than the comparable
country average ($245 per capita).^2 By moving to a system that’s free at
the point of the service, we can spend money that currently goes to
administrative costs on actually providing care to people — offsetting the
cost of expanding care to all.

Let’s keep up the momentum for Medicare for All in order to lower costs
while improving health outcomes for all!

In solidarity,

Nurses’ Campaign to Win Medicare for All

 

1 - [ [link removed] ]Americans’ Challenges with Health Care Costs
2 - [ [link removed] ]What drives health spending in the U.S. compared to other
countries?



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