Congress has adjourned for the year

Friend, On January 1, health care premiums will double (or even triple) for millions of Americans. But instead of addressing this looming crisis, Congress has left Washington DC for the holidays. It's no secret that the Sanders Institute sees Medicare for All as a North Star for health care. We believe that Americans are healthier in a system where nobody is left out, and that we will ultimately pay less for care without extractive for-profit private insurance companies driving up prices. Instead of a comprehensive solution like Medicare for All, Congress is merely debating whether to prolong a system that is already broken by extending the ACA's insurance subsidies. Let's be clear: Congress should act to keep the millions who will lose insurance on January 1 from doing so. But it should also at least do the bare minimum to reform the system. Traditional Medicare should be expanded to cover dental, hearing, and vision. Seniors everywhere isolate themselves because they can't hear in social gatherings or they can't see well enough to drive anymore or they don't want to smile because of their teeth. And this lack of coverage drives seniors toward privatized Medicare Advantage plans that cost more and deliver worse health outcomes - if they can even access them. We need to take on Pharmacy Benefit Managers, the monopolistic middlemen who jack up prescription drug prices at the pharmacy. We need Medical Price Transparency, so that insurers and providers publish negotiated rates and cash prices in advance, finally making public the actual cost data for services. This will save Americans money and boost competition. These policies don't just improve care and bring costs down in the short term, they bring us closer to our goal of Medicare for All. The Sanders Institute is here to chart a course to a more progressive future. We are the think tank for the left. We don't take money from billionaires or big corporations―but we know the power of $18 and $27 contributions from individuals like you. Can you pitch in $27 today? In solidarity, Jane O'Meara Sanders The Sanders Institute DONATE Paid for by the Sanders Institute 131 Church St., Burlington, VT 05401 The Sanders Institute is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization.   Sent via ActionNetwork.org. To update your email address, change your name or address, or to stop receiving emails from The Sanders Institute, please click here.