Dear North Carolina Congressional Delegation, 

Even before the COVID-19 outbreak, our country was facing a health care crisis, with an estimated 87 million people uninsured or underinsured. Our for-profit healthcare system,  not found in the rest of the developed world, is costly and inadequate, leaving many people unable to get the care they need or struggling under the weight of medical debt. Now, tens of millions of people are losing their jobs and their health insurance at the same time, leaving them unprotected during a public health crisis. To safely reopen the economy, we must have a public health protocol that includes expanded free testing, contact tracing, trend tracking, and full access to treatment without fear of costs.

This critical moment demands that we rethink our approach to health care delivery and close the gaps with a publicly funded, privately delivered, single-payer, Expanded and Improved Medicare For All system. As an immediate step in the transition process toward a national health program, the North Carolina Medicare for All Coalition (NCM4A) and the undersigned North Carolina organizations and constituents call on you to:  

1. Advocate for hearings/floor votes to support the immediate passage of the Health Care Emergency Guarantee Act of 2020, which would empower Medicare to pay all costs of treatment for the uninsured and all out-of-pocket costs for those with public or private insurance for the duration of the pandemic. https://bit.ly/2XE6udB 
2. Support use of the Defense Production Act to make and distribute ventilators, personal protective equipment, and other necessary medical supplies.
3. Allocate resources equitably to prevent closures of rural/underfunded hospitals.
4. Institute a moratorium on medical debt collections.
5. Increase capacity for virus testing and contact tracing.
6. Ensure free universal administration of the COVID-19 vaccine, when available.

Let’s stand together and respond effectively to this pandemic crisis by advocating for an equitable, efficient, and fiscally responsible healthcare system that prioritizes public health and protects the well-being of the American people during COVID-19 and beyond.

Sincerely,

The North Carolina Medicare for All Coalition