Hi,
[ [link removed] ]Your teeth are part of your body, right?
Not according to Medicare. Medicare doesn't cover basic dental services,
such as cleanings, fillings, dentures, and more. That could all change --
unless Joe Manchin gets his way.
The Senate's $3.5 trillion budget reconciliation bill includes the largest
expansion of Medicare in decades, lowering the eligibility age and
including dental, vision, and hearing care.^1 It's a huge step toward
Medicare for All.
But Joe Manchin has been on record this year opposing Medicare
expansion.^2 Just yesterday he vowed to slash the size of the $3.5
trillion plan, for no good reason, alongside a handful of fellow
right-wing Democrats in the House, jeopardizing Medicare expansion and
putting seniors' health at risk.
The fight to expand Medicare is one of the most important battles of 2021,
and it will be decided in the next few weeks. We need you to send Congress
a message right now that you want this to become law!
[ [link removed] ]Sign the petition: Teeth are part of the body! Congress must expand
Medicare now.
ADD YOUR NAME
Every year, millions of Americans file bankruptcy due to medical bills.^3
One in four Americans avoids medical care due to cost.^4 Recent studies
have shown that the cost of care with insurance varies widely--and is
sometimes greater than the cash price of certain procedures.^5 Things
don't have to be this way.
Medicare expansion would change American healthcare. It would help senior
citizens get hearing aids, ensure that Medicare patients have fair prices
for prescription drugs, and that millions more Americans get quality
healthcare.
Right now, the biggest obstacle to expanding Medicare isn't coming from
Republicans. It's Joe Manchin and his fellow right-wing Democrats in the
House and the Senate who are obstructing the path to better healthcare.
Although President Biden and Speaker Pelosi have agreed that the
bipartisan infrastructure bill and the reconciliation plan both need to
pass, Manchin and these other right-wing Democrats are trying to undermine
the reconciliation bill that includes Medicare expansion, demanding huge
cuts and threatening the deals that made these bills possible.
These conservative obstructionists collected over $1.2 million from
pharmaceutical companies that stand to lose profit from fair negotiations
with Medicare providers.^6
We need to make it clear to everyone in Congress: Medicare expansion must
happen. If we are not loud enough, Manchin and the conservatives will get
their way, and we will lose our best chance to expand Medicare.
[ [link removed] ]Tell Congress: Don't listen to the obstructionists! Expand Medicare
now.
Thanks for taking action,
Tal and the team at Demand Progress
[ [link removed] ]DONATE
Sources:
1. CNBC, "Senate approves framework of $3.5 trillion budget plan that
would expand Medicare, tax credits and climate initiatives," [ [link removed] ]August 11,
2021.
2. Washington Post, "Democrats seek to push Medicare expansion as part of
Biden’s $1.8 trillion families plan, defying White House," [ [link removed] ]April 29,
2021.
3. CNBC, "This is the real reason most Americans file for bankruptcy,"
[ [link removed] ]August 11, 2021.
4. CNBC, "Nearly 1-in-4 Americans Are Skipping Medical Care Because of the
Cost," [ [link removed] ]March 11, 2020.
5. New York Times, "Hospitals and Insurers Didn't Want You to See These
Prices. Here's Why." [ [link removed] ]August 22, 2021.
6. Daily Poster, "Dem Obstructionists Are Bankrolled By Pharma And Oil,"
[ [link removed] ]August 23, 2021.
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