June 26, 2023 Dear colleague, What do we mean when we talk about “Medicare for All?” In a nutshell, we’re talking about taking the very best parts of Traditional Medicare, building on them (by expanding benefits and eliminating out-of-pocket costs), and expanding this beloved program to cover each and every American. Sadly, our vision of improved Medicare for All is under dire threat from profit-hungry corporations and the policymakers who allow them to soak up billions of taxpayer dollars that should be going to patient care. Medicare Advantage—which now covers more than half of all Medicare enrollees—is an insidious force that is rapidly turning the most popular public health program in the U.S. into something nearly unrecognizable. When Americans turn 65, as I did a few years ago, we expect to leave the indignities (and outright dangers) of private health insurance behind. But Medicare Advantage plans have made it so that narrow provider networks, high out-of-pocket costs, and outright denials of care follow us into our retirement. This cannot stand. Thankfully, PNHP has a proud record of standing up to Medicare privatization, including our recent campaign to end the Medicare Direct Contracting and REACH programs. Earlier this year, we won a major victory on REACH, which goes to show that our opponents may be formidable, but they are not insurmountable. |
