Montgomery County Council and Progressive Maryland Call for Medicare for All

Montgomery County Council and Progressive Maryland Call for Medicare for All

Per Montgomery County:

For Immediate Release: Tuesday, July 13, 2021

Rockville, Md., July 13, 2021–Today the Montgomery County Council, in partnership with Progressive Maryland, introduced a resolution calling on the U.S. Congress to enact Medicare for All. The Council’s statement on the resolution is below as well as a statement of support from Progressive Maryland.

The County Council and Progressive Maryland appreciate the support for the resolution that came from a broad and diverse set of community, labor, and advocacy groups including organizations like CASA, ATU Local 689, the Maryland Poor People’s Campaign/Montgomery Region, and the Rockville Human Services Advisory Commission.

The full text of the Council resolution can be viewed here.

Council statement on resolution in support of Medicare for All

“Access to high-quality health care should be a fundamental right for every American. The Montgomery County Council stands united in support of the Medicare for All Act of 2021 and calls on the U.S. Congress to provide national health insurance for every Montgomery County resident and all people across our nation. We must build a national health care system that would end health disparities, effectively control costs, and assure everyone equal access.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the fragility of our employment-based health care system at a time when people across our nation and here in Montgomery County need health care more than ever before. The public health crisis has also laid bare existing racial inequities in our health care system for Black, Latino, and Indigenous people that have been perpetuated by systemic racism.

“Despite important gains made by the Affordable Care Act, 32.8 million Americans lack health insurance. Here in Montgomery County, its estimated that nearly 74,000 adults are uninsured, and more than 118,000 residents are underinsured including workers making low wages, part-time employees, contractors, and employees of many small businesses.

“If action is not taken to expand health care coverage on the national level, the growth of health care costs will continue, more residents will be unable to access essential health care services, and racial disparities will widen. Congress must act now to protect the health and well-being of our residents, our community, and our nation.”

Statement from Progressive Maryland

Dr. Tasnuva Khan, Pharm D, a Montgomery County based leader with the Maryland Progressive Healthcare Coalition (MDPHC) and a recognized expert in vaccine equity efforts applauds the Council for taking up this Resolution noting, “Many black, indigenous, and other people of color communities are supportive of Medicare For All because it provides a framework that advances health equity. The pandemic has revealed all of the disparities that exist in low-income and minority communities. Medicare for All will help make healthcare accessible and equitable for all.”