League of Women Voters supports Medicare for All

Carol Jessop | The Coloradoan

July 30 will mark the 52nd anniversary of our nation’s very successful Medicare program.

Medicare provides quality medical care to 55 million elderly or disabled Americans. The program’s total administrative costs are 2 percent, which is significantly less than overhead costs of private insurance companies. And Medicare receives praise from patients and health care providers alike. So why not expand this Medicare coverage to all Americans?

The League of Women Voters (LWV) has supported Medicare for all since 1993, when the LWV issued a position statement promoting “access to a basic level of quality care at an affordable cost for all U.S. residents” and “cost control mechanisms to ensure economical delivery of care.” It calls for a national health insurance plan financed through general taxes while retaining patient choice and private providers and hospitals.

It is of concern that compared to other industrialized countries that have national health care programs (i.e., Japan, France, Canada, Germany, Taiwan, Singapore, etc.), Americans pay significantly more for health care. Our country leaves millions uninsured and with worse medical outcomes than patients in these other countries.

American businesses would thrive with an expanded Medicare for All program. In 2014, about 66 percent of non-elderly Americans received their medical insurance from employer contributions. However, employers’ costs have been rising steadily.

Businesses in Canada, Taiwan and Germany have overall expenses that are 15-25 percent less than what American companies contribute. Obviously, this difference impacts U.S. companies’ ability to compete on the global stage.

In summary, the facts are clear that we’re not containing our health care costs or covering everyone. Sixty percent of Americans polled in June 2017 support adopting a program like Medicare for All. Please let your representatives and senators know how you feel.

The LWV of Larimer County and The Colorado Foundation for Universal Health Care will be hosting a birthday celebration for Medicare on July 22 at the Oak Street Farmer’s Market. Look for the “Happy Birthday Medicare!” banner. We will have resources to help answer your questions.

Carol Jessop, M.D., is a member of the Healthcare Team for the League of Women Voters of Larimer County.