Heartbreaking Stories Highlight Need for Medicare for All
Statement of Eagan Kemp, Health Care Policy Advocate, Public Citizen
Note: Today, the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Rules held a hearing to discuss the Medicare for All Act of 2019 (H.R. 1384). During the hearing, several witnesses shared stories about those who have died or suffered because they couldn’t afford health care.
It’s impossible to hear these powerful and heartbreaking stories and not understand just how broken our health care system remains. People are suffering and dying every day because they can’t get the health care they need, and others are facing medical debt or bankruptcy when they do. The time has come for a health care system that finally would ensure that everyone can get the care they need when they need it.
Only Medicare for All would allow the U.S. to control our health care costs and make sure no one slips through the cracks. Estimates show that such a system would save between $2 trillion and $5 trillion over 10 years, including from reduced administrative waste and cheaper prescription drugs. Medicare for All is the best way forward.