The Medicare-for-All movement’s ever-growing momentum is beginning to spook conservatives, forcing them to engage directly with the issue when previously opponents had simply brushed off the policy. Just last week Seema Verma, Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), took it upon herself to rail against the increasingly popular policy of Medicare-for-All. And earlier this week, the Mercatus Center, a libertarian think tank funded by the right-wing Koch Brothers, released a report with estimates of the price tag for Medicare-for-All. What’s funny about the report is that instead of providing data to support opponents of the policy, it actually bolsters the many arguments in favor of expanding and improving Medicare and providing it to everyone.

Not to say the report was neutral. Charles Blahous, the author of the report, showed his bias by emphasizing the rise in federal government spending on health care under Medicare-for-All while glossing over his finding that Medicare-for-All would reduce overall health system spending by $2 trillion over ten years. Even with some questionable assumptions about costs and savings which are discussed below, Blahous estimates that total health system spending from 2022-2031 would drop from $59.7 trillion under our current system to $57.6 trillion under Medicare-for-All. This finding even led Bernie Sanders to thank the Koch Brothers for helping to make the case for Medicare-for-All.

Not only would Medicare-for-All cost less than our current fragmented system, it would do so while covering the more than 30 million Americans that are currently uninsured and providing more generous benefits, including vision and dental coverage. In addition, the approximately 40 million Americans that are currently underinsured—meaning their out-of-pocket costs prevent them from getting the care they need—would finally be able to access medical services that were previously out of reach.

Despite finding significant overall savings, some of Blahous’ estimates differ widely from previously published research on the topic. Blahous significantly underestimated potential savings from government negotiation of prescription drugs and reducing administrative waste. An earlier estimate found that the U.S. could save around $600 billion a year (those savings would likely be higher now, given that the study was done in 2014). Another study, which reviewed a series of single-payer academic studies, found the average estimate of savings on administrative waste and prescription drug negotiation was $556 billion a year, with estimates ranging from over $1.5 trillion to $140 billion. By contrast, Blahous’ only estimated savings of $120 billion in 2019, the most recent year he studied.

In addition, Blahous overestimated increased demand for health care services. He estimated that utilization would jump by around $370 billion in 2019, much higher than previous estimates. For example, one study, estimated increased spending of only around $144 billion. Further, other authors have highlighted that previous health reforms generally only lead to modest increases in health care utilization.

As can be seen by just these examples, the actual savings from transitioning to a single-payer Medicare-for-All system are likely to be much larger than the $2 trillion in savings that was estimated in the biased Mercatus study. However, it’s always great when our opponents put out reports that lend support to our arguments!

It’s always good to remember the old saying “first they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then you WIN.” With your help, we can WIN the fight for single-payer, Medicare-for-All. Please spread the word about the benefits of Medicare-for-All, including cost savings, and help us keep this momentum growing!

As we celebrate the 53^rd anniversary of Medicare being signed into law, it is worth reflecting just how far the movement for improving and expanding Medicare to everyone has come in the past year. When we celebrated the 52^nd anniversary in 2017, Medicare-for-All was moving into the mainstream. Now it is impossible to discuss health care without discussing Medicare-for-All. This momentum has been spurred by activists pushing back against the Trump administration’s continued attacks and falsehoods about health care and also by Americans demanding a health care system that works for them, instead of for corporate profits. Progressive candidates, like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, are poised to bring additional support and fervor to the fight for Medicare-for-All.

Since July 30, 2017, we have seen the release of a Medicare-for-All bill (S. 1804) in the Senate with a record 16 original cosponsors; growth in the number of House members cosponsoring H.R. 676 to 123, which is a majority of the Democratic Caucus; the launch of a Medicare-for-All Congressional caucus; countless articles and stories on Medicare-for-All in the press; and ever growing grassroots support, including activists knocking on doors and asking candidates whether they support health care as a human right.

Most recently, the announcement of the Medicare-for-All caucus, which more than 70 members of Congress have joined, marked a major milestone in the fight for a single-payer health care system. The announcement included a press conference where members of Congress, including caucus co-chairs Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) and Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.) spoke about the need for Medicare-for-All. Representatives from a number of groups, including Public Citizen, the Center for Popular Democracy, National Nurses United, and Social Security Works also spoke about the benefits of single-payer health care for a variety of populations.

Public Citizen President, Robert Weissman, spoke during the Medicare-for-All caucus launch about the growing people power on Medicare-for-All and the high stakes of getting health care right:

In America, we pay a lot more for health care than every other rich country and we get a lot less. We have more people dying in hospitals from preventable problems than any other rich country. And we have by far the highest infant mortality rate of any rich country… We choose to let people be sick and go untreated. We choose to let babies die. Actually, we don’t really choose it at all. We, the people, don’t choose it. The problem is not a lack of solutions. We know what the solution is, Medicare-for-All. The problem is the influence and power of the hospitals and the drug companies and the for-profit insurance companies. That’s the problem. And that is why the creation of this caucus is so vital. It is vital because it represents a turning point in our politics, where people power is now poised to defeat corporate power in the halls of Congress… This is really a momentous day; the creation of this caucus.  The time is not far off, at all, not just when we get votes on Medicare-for-All, but when it’s signed into law and we actually deliver on the promise that health care is a right.

If the last year is any indication of how much the movement will grow in the years to come, the road to passage of Medicare-for-All in the coming years is much clearer than it’s even been. Tweet along with us today (@Public_Citizen and @eagankemp) as we celebrate the 53^rd anniversary of Medicare and Medicaid. Finally, check out our revamped Medicare-for-All page for the latest developments and for additional ways to get involved in this crucial fight!

President Trump’s parade of falsehoods extended to health care in the United Kingdom this week when he posted a wildly inaccurate tweet that peddled lies about the UK’s National Health Service (NHS):

Though thousands of people were marching in London over the weekend, they were doing so in support of the NHS, opposite Trump’s assertion. The demonstration was actually aimed at ending budget cuts to the popular system.

If anything, you would think Trump would be praising NHS cuts, given how much he has bragged about ending the health care individual mandate through the tax scam bill, which threatens the health care of 13 million Americans and will increase premiums for millions more. Further, his administration continues to sabotage our health care system, including through illegal work requirements for Medicaid and through taking steps to allow insurers to offer junk plans.

Unsurprisingly, Theresa May, the Prime Minister of the UK—who leads the Conservative Party—reproached him for his ignorance. Similarly, Jeremy Corbyn, the leader of the center-left Labor Party, responded, “People were marching because we love our NHS” and are against further cuts, adding “health care is a human right.”

While President Trump’s ignorance and lies won’t be a surprise to most, it is worth briefly exploring just how wrong he is about the NHS. In the UK, virtually everyone is covered and care is free to anyone who seeks it. Bills and other paperwork are almost unheard of, as is medical bankruptcy. The UK also has a lower infant mortality rate and a higher life expectancy than the United States. And they are able to achieve all this despite spending close to half what we spend, in terms of percentage of GDP, and nearly a third as much, when comparing per capita spending.

And while the NHS is not without problems (as with any health care system), it remains deeply popular with the British people and no major party would consider abolishing it or implementing a system as fragmented and unnecessarily expensive as our own. Jeremy Hunt, the health secretary for the NHS (and a member of PM May’s Conservative Party) responded directly to President Trump: “I may disagree with claims made on that march but not ONE of them wants to live in a system where 28m people have no cover. NHS may have challenges but I’m proud to be from the country that invented universal coverage – where all get care no matter the size of their bank balance[.]”

The ironic part is that Trump promised great coverage for all Americans, both during his campaign and while in office. He also reportedly asked advisors, “Why can’t Medicare simply cover everybody?” on more than one occasion. And in one of his books, he even advocated for a single-payer health care system. Hopefully one day President Trump will come to his senses and return to supporting the policy that can best address our country’s significant health care challenges: single-payer Medicare-for-All.

Image courtesy Rohin Francis/CC BY 2.0

There are less than 40 days remaining until a government shutdown, unless Congress passes a budget. Some Republicans are threatening to hold the budget hostage unless it includes riders that would hurt middle-class Americans while helping big corporation and CEOs.

Some of these cuts would affect Medicaid, Medicare, NIH, Planned Parenthood, and other crucial programs on which families depend. Americans deserve a clean budget, instead of attacks on consumers, workers, and families.

Even without the proposed cuts, we already face challenges with our health care system. Nearly thirty million Americans remain uninsured. Further cuts to these programs would put more Americans at risk for uninsurance at a time when tens of thousands of Americans still die each year because they lack access to quality health care.

In addition, the proposed cuts won’t do anything to help the Americans already struggling with medical bills. As of 2016, over half of uninsured Americans reported difficulty paying medical bills, while one out of five Americans with insurance also reported difficulties paying their bills. Those with difficulty paying medical bills cited the need to make hard choices, as they pitted the need for health care against the need for food, basic items, and preserving any semblance of savings.

We can’t risk the ill effects of cuts to these crucial programs. Right now Medicare, Medicaid, and other public insurance programs fund around two-thirds of U.S. health care costs. These programs are generally the most popular and efficient parts of our health care system.

Public programs have served as a crucial lifeline for generations of Americans. For example, when Medicare was signed into law in 1965 by President Lyndon Baines Johnson, it changed the lives of elderly Americans for the better. Along with Social Security and Medicaid, it fought off the destitution that so many elderly Americans faced at the time. Over 50 years later, Medicare remains more popular and effective than ever.

We must not turn our backs on these and other crucial programs. Now is the time to call your members of Congress and tell them to.

When Medicare was signed into law on July 30th, 1965 by President Lyndon Baines Johnson, it changed the lives of elderly Americans for the better. Along with Social Security and Medicaid, it fought off the destitution that so many elderly Americans faced at the time. In Medicare’s first year, 19 million Americans signed up for coverage. Over 50 years later, Medicare remains more popular and effective than ever.

In fact, the two-thirds of U.S. health care costs funded by the government are generally the most popular and efficient parts of our health care system. Medicare, Medicaid, and other government programs achieve significant efficiencies even while serving some of the most vulnerable and expensive populations, while for-profit insurers are less popular and far less efficient, despite generally covering younger and healthier enrollees.

An improved Medicare-for-All system would allow us to expand Medicare to every American and to improve access to services for everyone. It would also allow us to address the three key pillars of health care: access, cost, and quality. We currently spend more, per person, than any other country in the world, even with nearly 30 million Americans uninsured. As the experience of other countries shows, we can’t bring costs down until everyone has access to quality care.

Covering all Americans under Medicare-for-All means access to care throughout a person’s life. It would be more humane and mean improved prevention, earlier detection of acute and chronic illnesses, and better access to early treatment. It would also allow improved efficiency, because we could study which treatments work well and are the most economical. Under Medicare-for-All, our health care system would focus on patients and their well-being instead of corporate profits.

Our health care system must be reformed if we are to improve Americans’ lives and bring down health care costs in the long run. We have wasted billions of dollars on inefficient and overpriced care while countless people have died or been driven to bankruptcy by our system. There can be no doubt, Medicare-for-All is the best way forward for our nation.

If you are interested in joining the fight for Medicare for all, please check out the Campaign For Guaranteed Healthcare at https://campaignforguaranteedhealthcare.org/ or @Campaign4Health on Twitter.

Photo courtesy Molly Adams/Flickr/CC By 2.0