Special Report
The Debt Collective Fights for Medicare For All No one should have to go into debt for good health.
As members of the Debt Collective, It is important for us to clearly articulate what we are for and not just what we are against. People should know that the Debt Collective our tools can help them dispute their medical debts. The ultimate solution to medical debt, however, is to fundamentally change our healthcare system. The good news is that a movement has formed to do just that by pressuring Congress to make Medicare available to everyone.
Medicare For All isn’t just a practical solution, thanks to organizing and activism it is increasingly becoming a politically realistic solution.
Medicare For All solves two giant problems with our current medical system. First, it makes sure everyone is covered. Under Obamacare a whopping 29.3 million people still don’t have any healthcare coverage leaving them vulnerable should they get sick or hurt. Second, it makes sure that everyone can get the care they need without financial ruin or medical debt. Right now medical debt is the number one cause of bankruptcy.
Under the current system, most people are forced to use private health care, if they are lucky enough to have any care at all. These private companies have shareholders who make a profit off of your basic healthcare needs. These companies in turn are able to influence politicians through campaign contributions and lobbying. The result is that healthcare costs more than it needs to.
Recently, the movement for Medicare for All got a boost from an unlikely source. A study funded by the Koch brothers (of all people!) found that Medicare for All would save more than $2 trillion (with a T) over ten years. That is $2,000,000,000,000 dollars we can keep in our pockets to spend on our families. Always remember that your debt is someone else’s profit. But it doesn’t have to be that way.
The link between disputing our debts and fighting for Medicare For All is clear. The first step requires us to join together to cut off the flow of money from our families to the private health care industry and debt collectors who exploit us. The second step is to create a different medical care system that liberates everyone.
There are many different groups that are pushing for Medicare For All. One of the most important is the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA). The Debt Collective is proud to be working alongside DSA chapters to lead trainings on how to dispute medical and other debts. These chapters in turn are holding debtors’ clinics to help their members dispute their debts. Are you a part of a DSA chapter that would like to hold a clinic like this? Hit us up.
Some people might not like the word “socialism” or think that is is a bad thing. But as a recent article explains the way socialism is being talked about today is really about a good old-fashioned American value: freedom. It is about making our healthcare work more like a democracy, where everyone has equal power to make sure the system works for us all, not just the super wealthy.
Medicare For All isn’t just about making sure we have the care we need, it is also about making sure that our basic needs are not used to exploit and trap us. Many people are forced to take or keep jobs that they hate because the need the healthcare that comes with the job. If we had Medicare For All these people would be liberated to do different work, or less work, or both! Many people want to strike out on their own and start their own business but they can’t afford to do that because they can’t afford the private healthcare plans needed to lure talented employees. With Medicare For All that won’t be a limitation anymore. By disputing our debts and fighting for Medicare For All we are striking a one-two punch for freedom.
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