The COVID-19 pandemic has shown just how unsustainable the United States health care model is. In the U.S., the majority of people get their health care insurance through their employer. But as the economy shut down due to the pandemic, working people lost their jobs – and lost their employer-based health care. Now, during this deadly pandemic, health care is out of reach for far too many families.

Fortunately, some states are moving in the right direction, like Oklahoma and Missouri, which recently expanded Medicaid through the Affordable Care Act. These state-by-state efforts prove that ensuring everyone has access to health care is popular, in red and blue states alike. 

When everyday people have access to good, publicly offered health care, they won’t be tied to a particular job, which creates mobility, better wages in the long term, and saves working people money. And publicly offered health care isn’t just for employees; it’s a net benefit for employers, too. Instead of having to pay insurance premiums, employers save money, which can go toward other costs.

This issue couldn’t be more timely. The Supreme Court is about to rule on the validity of the ACA because Republicans – including President Trump – are trying to strip health care from millions of Americans by arguing the ACA is unconstitutional. Instead of offering any sort of alternative plan for the tens of millions of families who would lose coverage if the ACA is struck down, Republicans have offered nothing to ensure Americans are covered.

If trickle-downers succeed, health care will revert back to costing the economy and working people an inordinate amount of money, which is why we urgently need a public option – at a minimum – in this country.

Expanding health care is one of the most important moral and economic issues of this country’s future, which is why we want to see where this community stands. Tell us now:

Should every person in this country have access to a public health care option?