CWA: Senate Republicans Want to Devastate Health Care for Millions, Democrats Look to Expand Coverage

CWA President Chris Shelton issued this statement:

Despite spending more on health care than any other industrialized nation, the U.S. lags behind the nations of the world that guarantee universal access to affordable, quality health care.

Sen. Bernie Sanders’ Medicare for All legislation sets the stage for a health care system that finally would make good health care available and affordable for every American.  CWA long has supported an overhaul of our health care system and a “single payer” plan that would provide universal coverage. The Medicare for All Act is one opportunity to do just that.

The introduction of Medicare for All legislation shows the huge contrast between Democrats, who are working on ways to expand health care coverage for all Americans, and the Republican leadership that is continuing to push for changes that will hurt millions of people.

Right now, Senate Republicans are trying to push through the Graham-Cassidy bill that would make our health care system much worse for working families. It would cut protections for people with pre-existing conditions and allow insurance companies to make their health care so expensive that ordinary Americans couldn’t afford it.  It would put an “age tax” in place, requiring older Americans to pay thousands of dollars more, it will make health care bargaining much more difficult and it would slash the Medicaid program. 

It’s a mean-spirited and extreme measure that CWA and our allies will resist.