Medicare for all

Health care costs too much. You know it and I really know it.

As a pharmacist for the past 15 years I have watched helpless as ability to pay has been the top indicator of outcomes for my patients. I have also watched as incremental changes to policy such as the Affordable Care Act, and now the Inflation Reduction Act have brought real relief to my patients

In case you are unaware, the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) reduced the maximum out of pocket for Part D to $2000 in 2025 and $2100 in 2026. Along with that it established the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan, allowing enrollees to budget that expense equally throughout the year. This change has saved lives, reduced hospitalizations, and improved the quality of life of members.

Also no one has more choice in what plans and doctors are available to them than a Medicare enrollee. Insured through an employer? Your coverage likely costs more with fewer choices. I could digress into Pharmacy Benefits Managers, administrative costs, marketing costs and so much more.

Medicare and Medicaid are by far more efficient than private insurers with administrative costs as low as 2 cents on the dollar. If I were leading the charge in Washington on how to overhaul runaway healthcare costs I would switch us to a Medicare for All system. No more Medicaid, TriCare, VA etc. All rolled into Medicare. Healthcare should not be a for profit sector. My votes in the Senate would be in the service of moving us toward that future.