Insurers, Pharma Launch Major Propaganda Campaign; Most Small Businesses Support Medicare for All
Welcome to this week’s edition of “We’ve Got You Covered,” a weekly tipsheet designed to highlight key news about Medicare for All and call out the biggest industry lies and falsehoods about universal health care. Please send tips, feedback and questions to Angela Bradbery, abradbery@citizen.org, (202) 588-7741.
INSURERS, PHARMA LAUNCH MASSIVE AD CAMPAIGN
As Medicare for All continues to gain steam with lawmakers and the public, big corporations that profit from health care are beginning to feel the heat.
The insurance and pharmaceutical industries last week launched a seven-figure ad campaign against providing all Americans access to quality health care.
“These industries continue to take advantage of outsized profits and skyrocketing executive compensation at a time when 30 million Americans are uninsured and an additional 40 million cannot afford to use the coverage they have,” said Robert Weissman, president of Public Citizen. “It’s too late for an industry PR campaign to thwart the will of the people, who in increasing numbers and with ever louder voices are demanding Medicare for All.”
SMALL BUSINESS SUPPORT
While for-profit insurers and pharmaceutical companies have continued their smear campaign against Medicare for All, small businesses are not caving to their propaganda.
According to a new survey by the Commonwealth Fund, about 58% of small business owners back Medicare for All, which makes sense. Under the policy, small business owners no longer would need to worry about providing employees’ private health insurance, which creates enormous administrative burdens, reduces competitiveness with businesses in other countries and costs thousands per employee per year (with premiums continuing to skyrocket year after year).
NATIONAL SUPPORT
Small businesses aren’t buying into insurers’ and pharma’s propaganda and neither are the American people.
According to a Kaiser Family Foundation tracking poll, Medicare for All remains popular with more than half (53%) of the American people.
REMINDER: About two-thirds of Medicare for All funding would come from taking current public spending streams for health care programs and funneling them to Medicare for All, while the rest likely would be funded by taxes on high–income earners and fairer taxation of corporations.
This would mean higher-income earners finally would pay their fair share of taxes while working families would pay less than they do now for health care – up to 14% less for working families that make around $60,000 a year.
To speak with a Medicare for All policy expert, or if you have questions about Public Citizen’s work, please contact Angela Bradbery at abradbery@citizen.org or (202) 588-7741.