Bernie Sanders to rally at Hahnemann Hospital on Monday

Jul. 14--WASHINGTON -- Presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.) plans to rally Monday afternoon at Hahnemann University Hospital, railing against its closure and citing it as an example of why the country needs his "Medicare for All" plan.

The event will come as Sanders expects to ramp up his push for his signature policy -- on Saturday, he also said he would deliver a "major address" on "Medicare for All" on Wednesday in Washington -- and as he aims to show his appeal in Pennsylvania, a critical swing state that Democrats are desperate to win in the 2020 race.

Sanders plans to call for Philadelphia, state and federal officials to find a way to keep Hahnemann open, his campaign said in an announcement. The facility's creditors want to shut down its emergency department Wednesday, and close the hospital completely in September.

Sanders has previously rallied with labor groups in Pittsburgh and participated in a town hall event on Fox News in Bethlehem. His campaign cochair, Nina Turner, led an event Thursday at Hahnemann.

Sanders' campaign has argued that his plan to put every American on Medicare would eliminate profit-driven private health insurance and avoid closures of facilities such as Hahnemann.

Critics, including some of his Democratic opponents, however, have warned against forcing Americans to change their health coverage and contend that there is a role for private insurance.

Sanders was one of many candidates who skipped the liberal Netroots Nation conference in Philadelphia this weekend, but will be joined in the city Monday by several local labor unions and City Council member Helen Gym, his campaign announced.

___

(c)2019 The Philadelphia Inquirer

Visit The Philadelphia Inquirer at www.inquirer.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.