Friends -
I understand that there is a lot that is going on in this world today. The situation in Israel and Gaza is horrific and brutal. Russia's outrageous invasion of Ukraine continues. Here at home we are looking at the very real possibility that Donald Trump — the worst president in American history — could become President of the United States once again.
At the same time, we're trying to protect a woman's right to control her own body, the horror of increased gun violence is around us every day, and there is the not-so-small matter of a climate emergency that threatens the very habitability of our planet for future generations.
But, despite all of that, there is an issue that is always on peoples' minds because, by definition, it touches every single one of us. And that is healthcare, and the reality that today we have a dysfunctional and collapsing healthcare system.
While it is not discussed much in the corporate media or in the halls of Congress, we have the most inefficient, bureaucratic, and expensive healthcare system in the world.
That's not just what I believe. That is not just Bernie Sanders talking. That's what the American people know to be true because of their lived experience with that system.
And what is that system?
In this country, like any other, people get sick. They go to the doctor. They get diagnosed and medicine is prescribed. But, in America, unlike other countries, they can't afford to buy the medicine their doctors prescribe. So, as their health deteriorates, they end up in an emergency room or a hospital at great expense to the system, not to mention personal suffering.
Sometimes they die.
Think about it: Every year in this country, tens of thousands of Americans die because they are uninsured or under-insured.
Every year in this country, hundreds of thousands of Americans declare bankruptcy because of medical-related expenses.
Does that make sense to anyone?
And it doesn't stop there.
Despite spending far more per capita on healthcare than any other nation, we don't have enough doctors. We don't have enough nurses. We don't have enough dentists. We don't have enough medical providers in general.
We have more than enough people who bill us, and more than enough debt collectors who hound us to pay for a bill we cannot afford.
But we just don't have enough people to provide the healthcare that we desperately need.
And what's the result?
The result is that our healthcare, our life expectancy, and other healthcare outcomes lag behind most other countries in the developed world.
Unless you are wealthy. Then it's a different story.
Today, the top one percent of Americans live 15 years longer than the poorest people in our society and study after study has shown that working class people live shorter lives than the wealthy.
That doesn't seem right.
So what is to be done?
How does it happen that we spend so much money for healthcare, but get so little in return and what can we do about it?
First of all, we must acknowledge the fact that it is abundantly clear that the current system is failing the American people and the American people want change — real change.
That is why I have introduced Medicare for All legislation repeatedly as a member of the House and the Senate.
So what would Medicare for All do, and what are the costs?
Quite simply, Medicare for All would improve and expand Medicare to cover healthcare for every man, woman and child in this country.
That comprehensive healthcare coverage would end out-of-pocket expenses and, unlike the current system, it would provide full freedom of choice regarding healthcare providers.
No more insurance premiums, deductibles or co-payments. No more "networks" which deny you your choice of doctors.
And when I talk about Medicare for All being comprehensive, it would cover dental care, vision, hearing aids, prescription drugs and home and community-based care. In other words, it would do precisely what the American people want us to do.
Would a Medicare-for-all healthcare system be expensive? Yes. But, while providing comprehensive healthcare for all, it would be significantly LESS expensive than our current dysfunctional system because it would eliminate an enormous amount of the bureaucracy, profiteering, administrative costs and misplaced priorities inherent in our current for-profit system.
Remember: We currently pay twice as much for healthcare as do the people of virtually any other country – all of which provide universal healthcare.
So, yes, we can provide quality of care for all at a much lower cost per person.
Under Medicare for All, there would no longer be armies of people billing us, telling us what is covered and what is not covered and hounding us to pay our hospital bills.
This not only saves substantial sums of money but will make life a lot easier for the American people who would never again have to fight their way through the nightmare of insurance company bureaucracy.
In fact, the Congressional Budget Office estimated that Medicare for All would save Americans almost $700 billion a year.
Now, trust me. I know the 30-second ads from the insurance and drug companies have told us that if Medicare for All becomes law, your taxes will go up.
But what they won't tell you is that under Medicare for All, you will no longer be paying premiums, deductibles and co-payments to private health insurance companies and there will be no more out of pocket costs.
And what they certainly won't tell you is that Medicare for All will save the average family thousands of dollars a year.
The struggle for Medicare for All will not be easy. We're taking on the greed and power of the insurance companies and the pharmaceutical industry who make tens of billions a year profiting from this broken system. We're taking on the massive amount of campaign contributions that go to politicians who defend their interests, as well as thousands of well-paid lobbyists who flood congressional offices.
Guaranteeing healthcare to all Americans as a human right would be a transformative moment for our country.
It would not only keep people healthier, happier and increase life expectancy, it would be a major step forward in creating a more vibrant democracy.
Let's continue the struggle. Let's make this happen.
In solidarity,
Bernie Sanders
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