The Path to Health Care for All
I know how discouraging it can be to think about politics these days, with the stream of bad news coming out of
But there's something happening in
Universal health coverage will be an important topic of discussion in the run-up to the mid-term elections this November and will continue during the 2020 presidential race. The
Today, people in the
For example, earlier this month, a woman in
I think it's important for everyone to have coverage so they have access to health care and an illness won't bankrupt them-and I imagine most of you reading this would agree. The challenge is how to do it, how to pay for it, and how to get there.
The Affordable Care Act has helped us make significant progress toward this goal. States, like
There is a lot of talk in
What I think is more likely is an incremental approach, in which we expand coverage through existing programs, including a very popular program that is already in place: Medicare.
Medicare is a program that already covers nearly one-third of Americans. There are a number of things people like about Medicare: we can still choose our doctor or hospital, the services we need are covered, and we have affordable options for managed care.
One of the ways we can get to universal coverage is to allow more people to buy into Medicare, for example, by lowering the age at which people can buy into Medicare to under 65.
I'm interested in equity, and I think Medicare for all would lead us toward a more equitable distribution of health care resources, especially access to quality care for underserved communities.
How can
We need to protect and defend the ACA, and we need to continue efforts to expand coverage to those populations that have been left out. This includes expanding subsidies for people who still can't afford premiums for insurance, either through the Covered California exchange or their employers, and Medicaid for undocumented immigrants.
In coming months, I plan to ask candidates looking for my vote whether they support universal coverage and expanding health care. I encourage each of you to examine where your candidates stand on universal coverage, too.
I'd like to hear what other questions you have about health care access, so please email me at DrB@ mlkch.org.
Meanwhile, let's change what we can, and keep building a more equitable community here in
Dr.
Share your comments and stories with DrB@ mlkch.org.
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