Title
Urging the United States Senate to pass S. 1804, the Medicare for All Act of 2017, and affirming universal access to health care as a human right.
Body
WHEREAS, Every person in the City of Philadelphia and across the United States-regardless of citizenship status-deserves quality healthcare; and
WHEREAS, Over 27 million Americans, and over 165,000 residents in the City of Philadelphia, have no healthcare coverage; and
WHEREAS, Nearly 28 million Americans with private health insurance struggle to cover their deductibles and, as a result, cannot receive care without accruing substantial medical debt; and
WHEREAS, People of color are at a higher risk of becoming uninsured, with Latino and Black populations having lower rates of health insurance enrollment (83.1% and 88.3%, respectively) as compared to their white counterparts (92.4%); and
WHEREAS, Our current healthcare system largely ties health insurance coverage to employment, hurting vulnerable workers and the underemployed; and
WHEREAS, Unemployed individuals have, on average, poorer mental and physical health and are less likely to receive necessary medical care because of weak coverage and high medical costs; and
WHEREAS, The United States spends $3 trillion on healthcare each year, significantly more than industrialized countries that provide universal health coverage; and
WHEREAS, Twenty-two percent of Americans have reported that they have experienced a hike in the price of prescription drugs during the course of 2017. Approximately one third of these individuals reported that they chose to not fill a prescription or spent less on groceries or other family needs due to rising prescription prices; and
WHEREAS, S. 1804, the Medicare for All Act of 2017, provides a path towards a single, unified, comprehensive national health program that calls for the elimination of premiums, copays, and deductibles for medical coverage as well as a jobs program for insurance indust...
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