[1]NNU - Medicare for All!
Earlier this month, we asked if you had any questions about the
reintroduction of Medicare for All — or anything at all! — that we could
answer. So many folks reached out, so we thought we would send the answers
to some of the most commonly asked questions.
Here are your questions, and our answers:
Medicare is being privatized, what can we do to fight back?
There are two main pillars behind the privatization of Medicare — the
long-established but expanding program called Medicare Advantage and a new
pilot program called ACO REACH.
Medicare Advantage, also known as Medicare Part C, is a type of plan
offered within Medicare that is administered by private health insurers.
This program has been in place since 1999 but is rapidly expanding. Today,
48% of Medicare beneficiaries are on Medicare Advantage plans.^1 If you
think this would lead to decreased quality care and prioritizing profits
over patients, you’d be right. Medicare Advantage plans typically cover
25% fewer services, require prior authorization, often result in more
delays and denials, and incentivize less care than traditional Medicare.^2
Unsurprisingly, the insurance industry rakes in huge profits from its
Medicare Advantage programs.
During the end of the Trump administration, a new pilot program was
launched that today is known as ACO REACH. The program invites private
health care corporations to manage traditional Medicare plans without the
knowledge or consent of Medicare beneficiaries.^3 1.8 million people have
already been auto-enrolled in this pilot program, with the potential to
grow to tens of millions of people.
What do these two programs have in common? They allow private health care
corporations to silently profit off what should be a high quality, public
program. So what can we do to fight back?
While we continue to fight for Medicare for All, fighting to protect
Medicare from privatization and budget cuts is critical. [ [link removed] ]You can use
this new tool from our friends at Social Security Works to write a letter
to your members of Congress demanding they oppose the proliferation of
Medicare Advantage, and [ [link removed] ]you can RSVP here to join our friends at
Physicians for a National Health Program (PNHP) this Thursday, January 26,
at 5:00pm PT/8:00pm ET, for a webinar on the latest updates regarding ACO
REACH and how you can fight back.
What are the plans to advance Medicare for All in Congress this year? How
can I help?
Because it’s the start of a new session of Congress, Medicare for All
legislation will need to be reintroduced in both the Senate and the House,
and members have to take the step to sign on (or back on) as original
cosponsors — it doesn’t happen automatically even for those who signed on
in the previous session.
Our plan is to make sure that every single previous cosponsor who is still
in Congress signs back on and ensure new members of Congress who ran on
Medicare for All sign on as original cosponsors of the new bill as well.
[ [link removed] ]If you want to hear more about that plan and how you can help, RSVP now
to join our National Organizing Call this Tuesday, January 31, at 5:00pm
PT/8:00pm ET.
How would Medicare for All work? What would be included?
Some of you had questions about the basics of Medicare for All. For more
information and resources, check out our website at:
[ [link removed] ]www.medicare4all.org! But here’s a short explainer:
Medicare for All is a single-payer, national health care system that would
guarantee care for all regardless of one's ability to pay. And it wouldn’t
be the Medicare we have today covering everyone — it would be an expanded,
improved version of Medicare that is public, truly comprehensive, and free
at the point of service.
Medicare for All would:
* Negotiate much lower prices for services and drugs, resulting in
substantial savings overall;
* Provide comprehensive benefits to every person in the United States,
including primary care, vision, dental, prescription drugs, mental
health, substance abuse, long-term services and supports, reproductive
health care, and more;
* Dramatically reduce administrative bloat by reducing billing
complexity;
* End health disparities, eliminate competitive advertising costs,
assure that everyone has equal access to an excellent standard of
care, and much more.
Do you want us to join this campaign if we are not nurses?
YES! For-profit insurance companies are already spending millions of
lobbying dollars to kill Medicare for All legislation. If we’re going to
pass Medicare for All and provide guaranteed health care for everyone, we
need to build a massive grassroots organizing campaign that can fight back
— and win.
[ [link removed] ]If you haven’t yet, RSVP to our National Organizing Call on Tuesday,
January 31st, at 5 PT/8 ET to find out how you can get involved.
In solidarity,
Nurses’ Campaign to Win Medicare for All
1 - [ [link removed] ]KFF
2 - [ [link removed] ]New York Times
3 - [ [link removed] ]PNHP
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