By Kevin Zeese.
Whatever the Court Decides Occupy Needs to Work for Improved Medicare for All
First Step: Drop Two Words “Over 65” and Make Medicare Available to Everyone in the United States
Tomorrow the Supreme Court will announce their decision on the federal health law.
No matter what they decide, we will be there with signs that say “Medicare for all NOW!”
If the Supreme Court finds the individual mandate, that part of the law that forces people to purchase private insurance or pay a penalty, unconstitutional, then we say that the fastest way to solve the health care crisis is to drop 2 words, “over 65,” from the Medicare law and expand Medicare to everyone. We can then take time to improve Medicare such as making it more comprehensive and removing out of pocket expenses.
The majority of people in the United States, including doctors, support Medicare for all. We must no longer be the “silenced majority.” We join with Health Care for the 99% in calling for end to Wall Street health care. Occupy must be in the streets, loud and persistent in our demand!
In the days ahead, there will be groups from the left and the right using this opportunity to advance their own political agendas. We believe in the principles of I.C.U.
· that we focus on the issue Independent of political party,
· that we are Clear about what will or will not achieve universal health care
· and that we are Uncompromising in our position that every person in the country should have access to the same standard of high quality health care.
These goals cannot be achieved until we get Wall Street private insurance out of our health care system and create a single payer publicly-financed health system, Medicare for all, in which most of our health care dollars are used for, well, health care (not insurance company overhead and profit). We urge you not to confuse Medicare for all with Medicare for some (the Medicare buy-in supported by groups like MoveOn).
We have an opportunity to save lives in this country and end suffering by immediately extending Medicare to every person. We hope that you will stand in solidarity with us either in front of the Supreme Court or in your community. Remember the simplicity of “drop 2 words!” Expand Medicare to every person NOW.
Because of the historic Supreme Court decision on the federal health law, this week we have been devoted to the issue of Medicare for all. We will provide you with more broad-based news next week. We hope you will remember the postal workers who are on hunger strike against postal service cutbacks. And we hope to see you in Philadelphia at the National Gathering next week!
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