By Gaby Gross, Alachua County Labor Coalition, and Candy Birch, Medicare for All, Florida
Everyone living in the U.S. deserves high quality healthcare. No one should suffer poor health because they can’t afford to see a doctor or buy medication that they need. However, almost half of Floridians—including those with insurance—could not afford needed healthcare; about a third who did get necessary care struggled to pay their medical bills
The Alachua County Labor Coalition has joined Medicare for All Florida. Its goal is to remedy this dire situation by building support for the Medicare for All Act of 2021, HR1976. To do this, residents are asked to get cities and counties to pass resolutions in support of the bill and send those resolutions to Federal legislators. A proposed resolution has been submitted to the Gainesville City Commission and will be heard sometime in August.
Since the pandemic, the deficiencies of our medical system have become very clear and people would like to see it improved. However, insurance and pharmacology companies are increasingly profitable and make huge donations to legislators, including Democrats.
At the recent 5th Avenue Arts Festival, we found that most people we contacted were in favor of Medicare for All and over 100 signed the petition urging the Commissioners to pass the resolution. We hope to gather thousands more before submitting them to the Gainesville City Commission.
HR1976 is much better than current Medicare or Medicare Advantage. It covers all residents. It covers all medically necessary care including hospitalization, doctor visits, long-term care, prescription drugs, as well as dental, vision, hearing and mental health services. A one-page summary of the bill is at pnhp.org/housebill.
The care will be provided free at the point of service. No premiums. No copays. No deductibles.
The Bill includes funds to assist and retrain displaced insurance workers for five years.
The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office concluded in a recent report that Medicare for All would result in higher wages, increased household disposable income, and improve workers’ health and longevity.
Join us in this initiative to build a better and more inclusive healthcare system. Sign the electronic petition at the Alachua County Labor Coalition website or join our campaign (laborcoalition.org).