Medicare for All

Regardless of race, zip code, or income, when it comes to our health, we all want to make sure we can prevent, treat, or recover from illness or injury without fear of going bankrupt. But corporate lobbyists have sold off our health to the highest bidder. They let insurance companies, hospital chains, and Big Pharma lobbyists rake in record profits while denying us affordable quality care – care that the rest of the world sees as their right. 

Pharmaceutical companies, as one example, charge Americans the highest prices for prescription drugs in the world. All you need to do is cross the Canadian border to see the stark contrast in drug prices, where a Type 2 Diabetes prescription is $1,000 cheaper. In response, I will fight to dramatically bring down costs and help patients access low-cost prescriptions from industrialized countries by allowing Medicare to negotiate the cost of prescription drugs.

Because I believe that healthcare is a human right. No one should go without it because they can’t afford care. Despite our decade long fight to advance single-payer healthcare in the state, we need a federal partner to enact meaningful changes to our healthcare system. That’s why we need a real Medicare for All plan, and we need it now. 

Medicare for All must cover primary care, hospital and outpatient visits, reproductive health services, maternity care, dental, vision, audiology, long-term care, prescription drugs, mental health services, substance abuse treatment, laboratory and diagnostic services, and more. A true Medicare for All system must also work to put an end to surprise billing, provide relief for those with existing medical debt, and guarantee healthcare for every person in this country.

I will prioritize investments in rural healthcare infrastructure, ensuring that our dental clinics, community health centers, emergency departments and hospitals get the support they need. We must also support providers who work in rural and underserved areas by eliminating the crushing weight of student debt, investing in the National Health Service Corps that places doctors in rural communities, and providing financial incentives for these providers.

In Congress, I will work hard to make Vermont a place where all of our families can get quality healthcare at a price we can afford. Every other prosperous country in the world prioritizes this. So should we and so will I as your Congressperson.