Expand Medicare is a grassroots campaign for health care reform. We mobilize community to hold those opposed to reform accountable for the harm they are doing. Organizing the people's representative power or vote is how we settle differences by democratic process. People power should remove those opposed to reform from Congress until a supermajority in favor remains. This is essential to passing major bills like Build Back Better, which includes medicare expansion, through the U.S. Senate.
Health care reform can only pass with the help of allies. We support our friends with their platform priorities, like we want their support in ours. We work with diverse groups also interested in organizing the people's community, legislative, and electoral power.
Policy
"Progressives believe we need to protect, strengthen, and build upon our bedrock health care programs, including the Affordable Care Act, Medicare, Medicaid, and the Veterans Affairs (VA) system. Private insurers need real competition to ensure they have incentive to provide affordable, quality coverage to every American."
To achieve that objective, we will give all Americans the choice to select a high-quality, affordable public option through the Affordable Care Act marketplace. The public option will provide at least one plan choice without deductibles; will be administered by CMS, not private companies; and will cover all primary care without any co-payments and control costs for other treatments by negotiating prices with doctors and hospitals, just like Medicare does on behalf of older people." - from Platform For Progress: Health Care subsection
Essays
"Before the ACA, healthcare costs were rising year after year at double-digit rates. President George W. Bush’s and the Republican congress’ plan failed to curb insurance premiums, drug prices, or emergency room visits—typically the most expensive type of care a person can receive.
In response, a clear majority of Americans voted to expand Medicare in 2008. The public option was designed to rein in the most deep-seated of healthcare inequities. It would have drastically reduced prescription drug prices, premiums, and out-of-pocket costs." - from Expand Medicare