Healthcare is a human right. No one in America should be forced to choose between healthcare and paying bills or between healthcare and buying food. To help Americans deal with high costs, the Biden-Harris Administration recently announced new actions to protect consumers and lessen the burden of medical debt on American families so that healthcare costs will not be able to destroy your credit or bankrupt you (https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/04/11/fact-sheet-the-biden-administration-announces-new-actions-to-lessen-the-burden-of-medical-debt-and-increase-consumer-protection/).
However, in South Carolina, no matter how much the federal government tries to help us, SC’s Republican Governor and his administration, the Republican led State Senate and the Republican led State House do not want it because those guys don’t need it. They have proven repeatedly that they want to keep South Carolinians sick, poor, and ignorant. But they keep getting re-elected. Because of bad leadership and voters who don’t know any better, SC is one of only 12 states left that has not adopted the coverage under Medicaid expansion that became effective in January 2014. Yet, SC ranks at the bottom for nearly all issues related to healthcare, from access, to nutrition, to mental, to physical and to outcomes. Medicare for All will solve this problem.
Medicare for All will allow everyone to receive quality care that is affordable whether at the hospital, doctor’s office, emergency room or pharmacy. Medicare For All will eliminate copays, deductibles, premiums and provide reproductive care, home health care, maternity care, mental healthcare, dental, vision, and substance use, prescription drugs, hospital, and long-term care.
Medicare for All will greatly improve long-term health by reducing underlying health conditions, aka “comorbidities” (i.e., diabetes, kidney failure, obesity, hypertension). We must never forget that throughout the Covid pandemic “comorbidities” was cited as the reason for such a high rate of death in the lowest economic and minority communities.
I will be a vote for Medicare for All and continue to work to reduce prescription drug costs.
