New medical bankruptcy study: Two-thirds of filers cite illness and medical bills as contributors to financial ruin
Researchers found no evidence that the ACA reduced the proportion of bankruptcies driven by medical problems; insurance offered little protection to middle-class Americans. By David U. Himmelstein, M.D, Steffie Woolhandler, M.D., M.P.H and Clare Fauke for PNHP Medical problems contributed to 66.5% of all bankruptcies, a figure that is virtually unchanged since before the passage […]
Medicare for All fills a room
Attendance thrills backers of single-payer health system By Ashley Sloboda for The Journal Gazette Rachel Rose Reagan didn’t know if anybody in Fort Wayne would attend an event aimed to mobilize supporters of a government-run, single-payer health insurance system. She seemed awed Sunday as she addressed a crowded conference room at the downtown Allen County […]
Eighty-seven million adults are inadequately insured
Health Insurance Coverage Eight Years After the ACA By Sara R. Collins, Herman K. Bhupal, and Michelle M. Doty for The Commonwealth Fund The greatest deterioration in the quality and comprehensiveness of coverage has occurred among people in employer plans. More than half of Americans under age 65 — about 158 million people — get […]
A Public Option Isn’t Good Enough
By Libby Watson for Splinter News There is one thing we can be thankful for: Medicare for All is now a mainstream position in the Democratic Party, to the point where most of the leading Democratic candidates for president say they support it. The question remains how real their commitment to that goal is, and […]
As Drug Prices Rise, Is Boston’s Prosperity Based On A Moral Crime?
By Dr. Vikas Saini for WUBR Prescription drug prices have become a high-profile issue, with a growing clamor from politicians, including Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker, seeking to take action. There are many laudable elements in Baker’s proposal to negotiate prices directly with drug makers, despite its narrow focus, but such efforts are doomed to become […]
When medication prices are unaffordable, patients travel abroad for a better deal
By Sarah Gantz for The Inquirer Every three months, Jon Yeagley sets out from his Berwyn home at 5:30 a.m. for the six-hour journey to Canada. He crosses the border at Buffalo, stops at a Walmart a couple of miles into Canada, and turns around 30 minutes later with a small paper bag on the seat […]
Report: Eastern Washington residents have higher mortality
HOPE NOTE: Access to healthcare facilities has a great impact on health outcomes. Under a national improved Medicare for All healthcare system, all hospitals would receive a check for running the hospital and wouldn’t have to worry about having the finances to stay open. By Nicholas K. Geranios for Associated Press SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — […]
U.S. lawmaker Yarmuth says Democrats to begin Medicare for All hearings
By Yasmeen Abutaleb, Susan Cornwell for Reuters WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Democrats in control of the U.S. House of Representatives will begin holding hearings on expanding Medicare this spring and will aim to pass a bill by the end of next year, a senior Democratic lawmaker said on Tuesday. John Yarmuth, chairman of the House Budget […]
How the Private Health-Care Industry Is Working to Kill Medicare for All
Americans across the political spectrum are longing for change in health care but are worried about what changes might mean. Industry lobbyists see that as their opening. By David M. Perry for Pacific Standard Here’s the good news when it comes to access to health care: Americans are ready for change. Every serious Democratic candidate […]
From Kentuckians for Single Payer Health Care: HR 676 replacement needs strengthening
By Berry Craig for Kentucky State AFL-CIO HR 676 – The Expanded and Improved Medicare for All Act – has been the gold standard for the single payer movement for the past 16 years. It was based on the Physicians Working Group Proposal of 2003 and would have created a healthcare system that was universal, […]