The coronavirus pandemic has laid bare the fundamental flaws of our for-profit, employer-based health care system.
Tens of millions of Americans are joining the ranks of the uninsured, and our underfunded hospital systems are collapsing. No sick person, regardless of immigration status, should be afraid to seek the medical treatment they need during this pandemic.
We must organize to win reforms that mitigate immediate harm and make the next public health scare less deadly. We must fight for personal protective equipment for front line workers, paid sick leave, and more. We also must continue our fight for Medicare for All.
Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Pramila Jayapal have introduced emergency legislation that would empower Medicare to cover all healthcare costs for the uninsured and all out-of-pocket expenses for those with insurance for the duration of the coronavirus crisis. This bill, the Health Care Emergency Guarantee (HCEG) Act, is the kind of bold response that is needed — and could lead to the more permanent solution, Medicare for All.
We are launching a nationwide campaign to call on our representatives to support the Health Care Emergency Guarantee Act specifically.
This campaign will include a variety of tactics, starting with national and local virtual phone banks to start pressuring our representatives while maintaining social distancing.
We’re working on creating resources for chapters, which can be found on our Organizing Resources page. For now, please see these:
- Digital Toolkit
- Template script pressuring your representatives
- Health Care Emergency Guarantee Act Summary
- Bernie’s priorities for the next coronavirus relief package
If you want to get involved in this work but aren’t sure how, reach out to your chapter leadership, or let us know by signing up here.
