FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 17, 2023
Media Contact: Gaurav Kalwani, PNHP communications specialist, gaurav@pnhp.org
Physicians for a National Health Program (PNHP), an organization of over 25,000 physicians who support publicly financed Medicare for All, supports the Medicare for All Act of 2023, introduced in the House by Representatives Pramila Jayapal and Debbie Dingell, and in the Senate by Senator Bernie Sanders. The bill has 112 original cosponsors in the House, and 14 original cosponsors in the Senate.
“As we lurch from crisis to crisis in our health care system, insurance companies and private investors continue to rake in billions while Americans suffer and physicians are prevented from carrying out their sacred duty,” said PNHP president and adult and pediatric intensivist Dr. Philip Verhoef. “We need to eliminate this greed and guarantee health care for each and every person in this country. We need Medicare For All today, and this bill gets it done.”
At a town hall hosted by Senator Sanders on Tuesday, May 16, former PNHP president Dr. Adam Gaffney and PNHP board member Dr. Sanjeev Sriram spoke about the injustices of the current system. “As a critical care physician, I have seen patients with life-threatening illnesses from chronic conditions that were not treated because they could not afford the care,” said Dr. Gaffney. “Medicare for All will solve that.”
Dr. Sriram remarked on the current crisis in Medicaid following the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency. “If you don’t pick up the phone at the right time, or if you don’t fill out a form correctly,” he said, “your family and your kids could lose your Medicaid.” As many as 17 million people may lose coverage as states unwind the continuous enrollment requirement.
The Medicare for All Act of 2023 would provide comprehensive coverage to all persons living in the United States, with no copays, deductibles, or restrictive networks. It would save the United States hundreds of billions in administrative costs and waste, while also saving thousands of lives every year. Under this bill, reproductive health care and gender affirming care are fully covered and freely provided, as is dental, vision, and long-term care.
“We only have two options – allow people to continue to suffer and die, or pass Medicare for All,” said Dr. Verhoef. “For PNHP and millions of others across the country, the choice is simple.”
Read more information about the bills and what you can do HERE.
Physicians for a National Health Program (pnhp.org) is a nonprofit research and education organization whose more than 25,000 members support single-payer Medicare for All reform.