"Medicare for All"

May 10, 2019

Dear Friends—

I would like to talk to you about one of the biggest concerns on people’s minds here in Texas, and in Washington- our healthcare.

It impacts every single one of us, so it is important that we get it right.

Last month in Washington there was a hearing on “Medicare for All”, a proposal that would mandate the government takeover of our healthcare system for every person.

I want to discuss what that means for you- the cost and the damaging repercussions of this proposal.

Implications of “Medicare for All”

  • More than 150 million people would lose their employer-sponsored healthcare (whether they like it or not)
  • The cost has been estimated to be more than $32 trillion dollars above projected government spending from 2022-2031 ($100,000 per person in America)
  • Wait times for care would increase dramatically

Just like the Veterans Affairs (VA), which is plagued by long wait times, the inability to keep doctors, and a failing medical records system, the government would be processing and controlling all aspects of this program.

Any approach that increases the time that people must wait for care impacts those who need that care the most. This is the exact opposite of what the intention of this proposal is.

We also must ensure that every person has access to care, regardless of whether they have pre-existing conditions.

Our current healthcare system is imperfect, we must continue to tweak and work on lowering the cost of healthcare for everyone.

“Medicare for All” is not a tweak, it is the destruction of our healthcare system as we know it at your expense, and I promise not to pass that cost on to you.

Sincerely,
 

Kay Granger

Member of Congress