It’s no secret that healthcare costs in America are ridiculously high. The average American spends over $13,000 per year on healthcare, almost $4,000 more than the next highest spending country. This is nearly double the $7,000 average spent by citizens of comparable developed countries. The lack of a public healthcare option in the United States is the leading reason why healthcare costs are so high.

 

That’s why we’ll fight to create a public healthcare option, available to all Americans. 

 

What would a public option mean for you? Under a public, government-run healthcare option:

• Premiums and co-pays would not double and triple from year to year.

• Annual consultations, check-ups, and necessary screenings would be covered for all Americans.

• Restrictions would be imposed on prescription costs.

 

Most importantly, health insurance and healthcare costs would not take a significant chunk of your income, healthcare and health insurance costs will no longer put you in inescapable debt; you won’t have to choose between paying rent and being healthy.

 

While the federal healthcare mandate under the Affordable Care Act was eliminated in 2019, many states, including New Jersey, have imposed healthcare mandates requiring their citizens to have some form of health insurance. Why do we have laws that punish you for living without health insurance, but no government system that provides coverage for all Americans? By mandating coverage, our laws have created a monster in the form of rising rates and deteriorating quality.

 

Copays continue to increase, and costs for procedures have exploded to eye watering numbers. The average person is left caught in the middle of the fight between health insurance and healthcare providers, the worst of which many have experienced: health insurance companies having more say over your care than doctors. When health insurance declines to cover what a doctor considers medically necessary, the provider jeopardizes the health of those it is supposed to protect. 

 

With a federally run health insurance option the government sets the bar through controlled pricing. This would compel private insurance companies to lower rates to compete. All Americans would benefit. 

 

We don’t need to reinvent the wheel. Our idea has been tested in the form of the federal healthcare coverage provided for our veterans, which already supports 9,000,000 people. A system like this would be the first step in our fight to ensure affordable healthcare coverage for all Americans. 

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