Healthcare

Healthcare costs in the United States are out of control. In 2023, we spent an estimated $4.9 trillion on healthcare—up 7.5% from the previous year, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Despite this enormous spending, millions remain uninsured, underinsured, or forced to choose between medical care and basic necessities.

The problem isn’t that we spend too little—it’s that we spend inefficiently, and in many cases, immorally. A for-profit insurance system prioritizes corporate profits over people’s lives. CEOs get bonuses for denying care. Patients get buried in premiums, copays, deductibles, and surprise bills.

We can fix this. We must.

A Medicare for All system would deliver universal healthcare, save lives, and reduce costs. Recent studies show that such a system would save the U.S. nearly $5 trillion over ten years—or roughly $500 billion every single year—by eliminating the waste, bureaucracy, and profit margins of private insurance.

Under Medicare for All:

• Most working families would pay less than they do now.

• A household earning around $60,000 per year could save up to 14% annually on healthcare costs.

• You would never again pay out of pocket for premiums, copays, or deductibles.

• You and your doctor—not a claims adjuster or an algorithm—would make decisions about your care.

What about government efficiency?

Let’s look at the facts: In 2016, Medicare’s administrative costs were just 1.4% of its total spending. Compare that to 12.4% for private insurers—and that doesn’t even count the profits they rake in or the claims they deny. Medicare is far more efficient than any private insurance company. The idea that government-run healthcare is inherently wasteful is a myth—one pushed by the very corporations that profit from the current system.

Healthcare should not be a commodity. It should be a guarantee.

Additional Reforms to Strengthen Healthcare Nationwide

Beyond Medicare for All, there are critical steps we can take to improve access, efficiency, and equity across the healthcare system:

• Expand Telehealth Services: Especially for rural and underserved communities, telehealth can reduce barriers and improve outcomes.

• Support Mobile Health Clinics: Bringing care directly to where people live helps close healthcare gaps in high-need areas.

• Streamline Healthcare Administration: Reducing bureaucratic overhead will allow providers to spend more time on care—and less on paperwork.

• Address the Physician Shortage: We need federal investment in medical education, expanded residency programs, and incentives for providers to work in underserved areas.

America has the resources. We have the technology. And most importantly, we have the ability to fund it. We just need the political will to build a healthcare system that works for everyone—not just the wealthiest, not just the well-connected, and not just the insurance companies.

It’s time to put people over profits. It’s time for Medicare for All.