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Dear friends:
I am writing to you regarding a letter of support (below) for Bernie Sanders' Medicare for all proposal.
A few weeks back, a group of economists agreed to sign a letter of support for Bernie Sanders' Wall St. reform proposal. That letter (along with the names of those who signed on) was just featured in an important piece written by Glenn Greenwald. You can view it here: https://theintercept.com/2016/01/28/paul-krugman-unironically-anoints-himself-arbiter-of-seriousness-only-clinton-supporters-eligible/
We are now seeking support for the following letter from academic/professional economists and health care experts who support Sanders' Medicare for all proposal. If you interested in signing the following letter, please write to billygendell at berniesanders.com. Please include your title and institutional affiliation. If you have colleagues who might be interested in signing the letter, we'd be very grateful if you would pass along this invitation.
Sincerely, Billy Gendell
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ECONOMISTS AND HEALTH CARE EXPERTS IN SUPPORT OF BERNIE SANDERS’ MEDICARE FOR ALL
Bernie Sanders’ Medicare-for-All plan for universal health care in the United States is the right way to ensure affordable access to health care for all Americans.
The Affordable Care Act has made important strides in expanding health insurance, especially for low-income and young Americans. It has instituted important protections against exclusion from coverage. And it has empowered American workers, especially those with health conditions. But 29 million people in this country remain uninsured, and many more struggle with high co-payments and deductibles. Senator Sanders’ plan delivers universal coverage at a fraction of the cost because it replaces private health care premiums, co-payments and deductibles with a single, smaller payment into the Medicare-for-All system. In short, the Sanders plan will do more and cost less than any privately-administered health insurance system.
We agree with Bernie Sanders that we must build on the proven record over 50 years of the Medicare program. We must provide the freedom and security to all Americans that comes with finally separating health insurance from employment.
Bernie Sanders’s single-payer system would cost less than our current system, because a single-payer system wouldn’t spend huge sums on advertising, marketing, executive pay, and billing, as private insurers do. The Sanders single-payer system would empower Medicare to negotiate fair prices for drugs and procedures. It would be financed by a fair and reasonable tax, replacing a battery of larger and more burdensome payments to private insurance companies. By eliminating the profit-seeking interests of the insurance companies, the bills will get paid, and there will be no more fighting with insurers who fail to pay in full or on time.
Every other major Western country has made the morally principled and financially responsible decision to provide universal health insurance. The result – in Europe, Canada and Japan – is better health at lower cost. The United States can do this. And we have a program – Medicare – that shows how it can be done here.
To lend your support, please e-mail me at billygendell at berniesanders.com
SIGNORS: James K. Galbraith, University of Texas Dean Baker, Center for Economic and Policy Research Mark Weisbrot, Center for Economic and Policy Research Robert Reich, University of California Berkeley Eileen Appelbaum, Center for Economic and Policy Research John Dennis Chasse, SUNY Brockport Dr. James M. Cypher, Universidad Autnoma de Zacatecas Reynold F. Nesiba, Augustana University Scott McConnell, Eastern Oregon University Professor Mayo C. Toruño, California State University, San Bernardino Zohreh M Niknia, Mills College John T. Harvey, Texas Christian University Mitchell R. Green, Binzagr Institute for Sustainable Prosperity. Erik Dean, Portland Community College Timothy A Wunder, University of Texas at Arlington Kalpana Khanal, Nichols College Scott Fullwiler, Wartburg College Linwood F. Tauheed, University of Missouri-Kansas City William S. Brown, former academic economist, private business owner, Taku Reel Repair
-- Billy Gendell Policy Advisor Bernie 2016