PROGRESSIVE PLAYBOOK > MEDICARE FOR ALL

CORE MESSAGE

No matter what we look like, where we live, or what’s in our wallets, when we’re sick, we want to get the care that we need. Yet today, while our families are mourning more than a million lives lost to COVID-19, millions of Americans are without healthcare or cannot afford to see a doctor.

This pandemic has shown us that no matter our race, age or zip code, we all have a stake in getting quality health care. But big insurance and drug corporations spend millions buying off politicians and lobbying to keep prescription drug and insurance prices high. They profit off our pain while our families ration our insulin or drown in medical debt.

By coming together, Black, white, and Brown, we can pass Medicare for All and guarantee comprehensive, high-quality medical care we deserve for every person at every hospital and doctor’s office in every zip code.

WATCH IT IN ACTION

NEXT: POLLING + WORDS THAT WORK ↓

POLLING + Fast Facts

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VOTERS PREFER MEDICARE FOR ALL

In a randomized trial, a Democrat running on Medicare for All performed 4 to 10 points better than a Democrat running on improving the ACA.

COVID-19 INCREASING SUPPORT

41% of Americans say the COVID-19 outbreak makes them more likely to support government-run health care.

SAVE LIVES, CUT COSTS

The Lancet, a world-leading medical journal, published research that shows Medicare for All will save $450 billion and 68,000 lives every year.

END EXTORTION BY MEDICAL CORPORATIONS

Two-thirds of people who file for bankruptcy cite medical issues as a key contributor to their financial downfall and medical bills cause over 500,000 bankruptcies every year.

70 MILLION AMERICANS DENIED ADEQUATE HEALTH CARE BEFORE THE PANDEMIC

More than 10 percent of Americans are underinsured, meaning they can’t even afford to use their for-profit insurance. Another 13% of Americans remain uninsured completely.

MEDICARE FOR ALL BUILDS RACIAL JUSTICE AND EQUITY

Latinx and Black people have significantly higher uninsured rates compared to white people. While people of color comprised 41 percent of the adult, non-elderly population in states that failed to expand Medicaid after the Affordable Care Act’s passage, they made up 60 percent of people in the coverage gap, including 28 percent who are Latino and 28 percent who are Black

Words that Work

… guaranteed health care…

… expanded and improved Medicare for All…

No barriers to care like skyrocketing premiums, co-pays, or deductibles.

Medicare for All would reduce prescription drug prices by allowing Medicare to negotiate on behalf of the American people and forcing big pharmaceutical corporations to bring down prices.

Medicare for All means we get more choices, not less. Most of our insurance options are chosen by our employers. The limited plans force us to decide between getting care we need and bankruptcy.

Under Medicare for All you never lose coverage, even if you change jobs, and every doctor or hospital would be in-network for every person – whether a cancer specialist, pediatrician, psychiatrist, or nursing home.

With Medicare for All, we wouldn’t have to choose between healthcare and paying the rent or putting food on the table.

With Medicare for All, no copays and no deductibles for any health services, including all primary care, hospital care, prescription drugs, dental, vision, mental health, and long term care.

People are dying because pharmaceutical companies deliberately set sky-high prices for life-saving medicines like insulin, EpiPens, and inhalers. No one should go bankrupt to save their life.

NEXT: TOOLS + RESOURCES ↓

Tools + Resources

For more information, we have included the following additional publicly available resources below. These resources do not necessarily reflect the policy positions of the Progressive Caucus Action Fund.