March 7, 2023 By

Written by Barbara Pearson

State-based SP organizations: 

Masscare.org https://www.masscare.org/, Western Mass Medicare for All 

National SP organizations with significant presence

League of Women Voters LWV-MA; NNU–Mass Nurses

One Payer States, League of Women Voters national Health Care Reform network HCR4US (committee)

Healthcare-NOW is in MA

State-based SP bills

S744/ H1239 A bill to establish Medicare for All in Massachusetts

Standard M4A–establish Medical Trust, eliminate private insurance except for services not covered by the Trust; funded with a payroll tax (and tax on investment earnings over $30K); negotiate drug prices, provide hospital budgets.  Joint Committee on Health Care Financing last held hearing 10/26/21 with impactful testimony (can be viewed here: https://www.youtube.com/user/universalhealthcare/videos .  Several members of the Joint Committee are prominent members of the M4A Legislative Caucus, but the bill has not made it out of committee.

Sponsors Sen. Jamie Eldridge, Rep. Lindsay Sabadosa, Rep. Denise Garlick

82/200 co-sponsors in 2022; aiming to get over 100 this session

Obstacles to SP in the current context

Strong biotech council; hospital monopolies; new Democratic governor not a M4A supporter (but as Attorney General did successfully prosecute several Private Equity abuses in healthcare); no Repub. supporters

Advantages for SP in current context

(Strong Dem majority). (but some of them can still use more convincing)

Both of our national senators and several of our House Reps were cosponsors of Jayapal’s 2021 bill or were cosponsors of Sanders 2021 bill.

Goals for SP movement in CA 2023-2024

Get the bills in the legislature out of committee.  Get more co-sponsors.

Work for federal SBUHC bill.

Shorter-term initiatives

Working to advocate to all reps in state.  20 non-binding ballot questions successful–in districts of non-sponsoring legislators. Now working to turn their representatives to support the bills.

Pushing for municipal & town resolutions (for state bill), following Public Citizen https://www.citizen.org/topic/health-care/

Where can people find news about Single Payer in your state and/or join a group?*

https://www.masscare.org/ (info@masscare.org)

Western Mass Medicare for All  https://www.wmmedicareforall.org/