[Peace-discuss] Fwd: Medicare For All Is Closer Than Ever!

[J.B. Nicholson]

Szoke, Ron via Peace-discuss wrote:
> From: Donna Smith for Progressive Democrats of America
> Subject: Medicare For All Is Closer Than Ever!
> 
> [...] Progressive Democrats of America (PDA) activists dedicate
> ourselves to keep moving forward on our Medicare for All (MFA) effort.
> This, as we have since our founding more than 14 years ago.
I'd be careful of using the term "Medicare for All" without clearly 
explaining which implementation one refers to as this gives way to being 
exploited by redefining what that term means. HR676 is long-idle but short, 
easily understood, and supportable. S1804 is longer, includes for-profit 
actors, and is backed by Bernie Sanders (who is clearly a shepherd for the 
Democrats[1]). There's a revision of HR676 coming from Rep. Pramila 
Jayapal. Russell Mokhiber tells us[2] this revision is getting a new bill 
number. This revision is not yet published (as far as I know). It looks 
like the shift from HR676 to S1804 is to redefine "Medicare for All" to 
include for-profit elements which we don't want or need in a proper 
universalization of Medicare. That would end up letting so-called 
progressive Congresspeople not only say they support Medicare for All but 
also vote on such a bill leaving us with a continued expensive and 
under-delivering healthcare system.

> Our coalition has worked closely with Rep. Jayapal’s office for several
> months on the Expanded, Improved Medicare for All Act, to strengthen the
> legislation. We’re thrilled with the results, and we’re busily building
> support for an inspiring launch later this month, with the maximum
> possible number of original cosponsors.

What's the URL where we, the public, may read this "Expanded, Improved 
Medicare for All Act" bill?

This press release is online at 
https://pdamerica.org/medicare-for-all-is-closer-than-ever/ but there is no 
link to the in-progress bill text on that page.

The latter half of [2] talks about Jayapal's revision which will "keep 
for-profit hospitals in the mix". None of it looks favorably on the work 
being done in secret.

I'd also be wary of any so-called progressive who backed Nancy Pelosi as 
speaker of the House. Pelosi will do as the Democrats did when they had a 
majority in both houses of Congress and a Democratic Party president -- not 
bring HR676 up for a vote. That means no opportunity for a high-publicity 
push to urge the public to instruct their Congresspeople to vote for HR676 
on the condition of losing their vote. Given that Medicare for All is so 
popular (more than any HMO-based plan) it wouldn't take much to convince 
people to support such a drive (perhaps that's why HR676 never came up for 
a vote?). Pelosi makes no secret of her objection to Medicare for All. 
Giving her such power to keep important bills from being voted on is an 
effective means of letting representatives look progressive but achieve the 
same HMO-centric ends we've had so far.

The Democrats have an ugly history with healthcare because they're doing 
what their HMO and drug company funders are paying them to do. Important 
commentary on this comes from Jimmy Dore on his show[3].




[1] https://www.blackagendareport.com/bernie-sanders-in-hillarys-pocket and 
https://www.blackagendareport.com/bernie-sanders-sheepdog-4-hillary

[2] https://www.counterpunch.org/2019/01/11/single-payer-not-single-payer/

[3] https://www.youtube.com/user/TYTComedy/videos has all the episodes of 
his show. Some recent comments on this topic are in 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06J3eTIAIiU and 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQ1i_BM_qTE