Lane Siekman for Congress - www.LaneSiekman.com
Ordinary people are facing the devastating consequences of catastrophic illnesses, long term health care needs, or problems recruiting qualified employees for their small businesses. The United States currently spends $3 trillion on healthcare each year—nearly $10,000 per person, and as a percentage of gross domestic product, than any other advanced nation in the world, including Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Japan, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. Why don't we provide every man, woman and child of America with basic health care from the cradle to the grave just like every other industrialized nation already offers its citizens? We outspend all other countries on the planet and our medical spending continues to grow faster than the rate of inflation. Creating a single, public insurance system will go a long way towards getting health care spending under control. By moving to an integrated system, the government will finally have the ability to stand up to drug companies and negotiate fair prices for the American people collectively. Lane Siekman believes that Medicare for all is the right thing to do.
Everyday, I deal with ordinary people that are facing the devastating consequences of catastrophic illnesses, long term health care needs, or problem recruiting qualified employees for their small businesses. They need answers to everyday problems and the debate in Washington overlooks these concerns. I grew up believing that this country could do anything. We won World Wars, conquered diseases, preserved democracy, and even put a Man on the Moon. No journey was too difficult, no mountain too high, and no hope was impossible. Yet, when it comes to caring about our people, we stumble as a nation. We are told that we can't do what is right because it would be too expensive, too much government, or even "take away freedom".
The United States currently spends $3 trillion on health care each year—nearly $10,000 per person, and as a percentage of gross domestic product, than any other advanced nation in the world, including Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Japan, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. But these nations are making the morally principled and financially responsible decision to provide universal health care to all of their people—and they do so while saving money by keeping people healthier. Why don't we provide every man, woman and child of America with basic health care from the cradle to the grave just like every other industrialized nation already offers it’s citizens?
Thanks to the Affordable Care Act (ACA), more than 17 million Americans have gained health insurance. Millions of low-income Americans have coverage through expanded eligibility for Medicaid that now exists in 31 states. Young adults can stay on their parents’ health plans until they’re age 26. All Americans have benefited from increased protections against lifetime coverage limits and exclusion from coverage because of pre-existing conditions. But now it's time to do more than just fight to preserve the ACA. It is now time to champion a health care plan that every American truly deserves: Medicare for all
With Medicare for all, all Americans will benefit from the freedom and security that comes with finally separating health insurance from employment. That freedom would not only help the American people live happier, healthier and more fulfilling lives, but it would also promote innovation and entrepreneurship in every sector of the economy. People would be able to start new businesses, stay home with their children or leave jobs they don’t like knowing that they would still have health care coverage for themselves and their families. Employers could be free to focus on running their business rather than spending countless hours figuring out how to provide health insurance to their employees. Working Americans wouldn’t have to choose between bargaining for higher wages or better health insurance. Parents wouldn’t have to worry about how to provide health insurance to their children. Americans would no longer have to fear losing their health insurance if they lose their job, change employment or go part-time. Seniors and people with serious or chronic illnesses could afford the medications necessary to keep them healthy without worry of financial ruin. Millions of people will no longer have to choose between health care and other necessities like food, heat and shelter, and will have access to services that may have been out of reach, like dental care or long-term care.
We outspend all other countries on the planet and our medical spending continues to grow faster than the rate of inflation. Creating a single, public insurance system will go a long way towards getting health care spending under control. By moving to an integrated system, the government will finally have the ability to stand up to drug companies and negotiate fair prices for the American people collectively. It will also ensure the federal government can track access to various providers and make smart investments to avoid provider shortages and ensure communities can access the providers they need.
The only way to lower healthcare costs is to take insurance companies out of the equation. Medicare for all is a viable option. Economist Robert Frank recently pointed out in the New York Times that Medicare’s administrative costs are only 2 percent of its total cost. Administrative costs for private insurance companies are about 6 times higher. This approach is estimated to save the American people and businesses over $6 trillion over the next decade.
In 2015, the average working family paid $4,955 in premiums and $1,318 in deductibles to private health insurance companies. Under this plan, a family making $50,000 — roughly the median family income — would only pay about $1,100 in health care income taxes. That’s $3,855 less than what it would pay out-of-pocket for the average premium ($4,955, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation) and $5,173 less if a deductible ($1,318, for individual coverage) is factored in. The average annual cost to the employer for a worker with a family who makes $50,000 a year could go from $12,591 to just $3,100.
The plan would be implemented through the gradual expansion of Medicare by expanding eligibility from the current age of 65 downwards. Another idea would be to start extending eligibility to younger Americans first since they in general have fewer health needs. In any event the goal is to slowly and responsibly expand Medicare until every American is covered.
It's the right thing to do.
Lane
