Fight for Medicare TODAY, so we can have Medicare for ALL TOMORROW!

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Many proposals are being put forward on both sides of the aisle, some with better intentions than others. The Maryland for Guaranteed Healthcare campaign is just that - a campaign for guaranteed healthcare. With the strides the ACA has done to improve the healthcare system, there will still remain 30 million Americans uninsured, with many who have insurance still not having needed medical coverage and care.

In the immediate short-term, our advocacy has been concentrated heavily on preventing up to 23 million Americans from having their medical coverage taken away. Millions of people in our nation rely with their lives on services provided by Medicare, Medicaid, and CHIP. We are demanding our elected officials such as Governor Hogan, Representative Andy Harris, and others to not only oppose ANY healthcare cuts for Maryland, as well as to take a leading position that everyone deserves healthcare and supporting policy solutions that make that goal a reality. By fighting for Medicare (and all federal programs of equal importance) today, we are retaining the system that will help us fight for Medicare for ALL, tomorrow.

In her Letter to the Editor to Delmarva Now, Vice President of the Lower Shore Progressive Caucus Whitney Palmer writes,

"Throughout the state, Marylanders have benefited from Medicaid expansion; conservative numbers state 291,000 individuals have gained coverage — and the majority live in rural areas. Our health care system has high administrative costs and the cost of care is set by profit motives. Insurance and pharmaceutical companies prioritize corporate profits over the health of Americans — and treat health care as a commodity.

Health care is a human right and moral issue, not a commodity. Our goal should be to provide more and higher quality care to Americans, especially access to mental health services. We at Progressive Maryland believe that should take the form of a single-payer, Medicare-for-all system. A single-payer system will result in savings of [hundreds of billions of dollars annually].

When physicians can focus on people’s health instead of bureaucracy or creating a plan based on a person’s ability to pay, they can address health needs and prioritize prevention. Additionally, people will no longer declare bankruptcy because of medical bills. Fewer people will die.