The Medicare for All Act of 2021, H.R. 1976, was introduced into Congress yesterday by Representatives Pramila Jayapal and Debbie Dingell. The bill was co-sponsored by more than half of the House Democratic Caucus, including 14 committee chairs and key members of the Congressional leadership.
Moving this important piece of legislation will require constant pressure from working people. Here are some ways to take action:
H.R. 1976 will not only save most union members (and other working people) money, it will take healthcare off the bargaining table, where employers regularly hold it over our heads.
“UE members know that the system is broken,” said UE General President Carl Rosen, because “far too many of our members have been forced into paying too much for premium, co-pays and deductibles.”
“Medicare for All is how we rectify years of employer based healthcare, and finally get justice and freedom for millions of working class people,” said Dominic Harris, Local 150.
Juliet Uata, Local 1008, said “Medicare for All ensures that everyone gets the care they need when they need it without the worry of cost, which will significantly better our communities and country. People’s health is more important than profiteers’ wealth.”
“Healthcare should be considered as a human right, not as a for-profit commodity,” added Bryan Pietrzak, Local 506, “especially at a time in this country when 42 percent of cancer patients are declaring bankruptcy, with a pandemic that has killed 500,000, and when millions of the working class and poor are on unemployment without employer-provided healthcare.”
