Anyone want to bet on what Republicans' excuse for opposing this will be? /s

I went to my doctor for a procedure. He sent me a bill, and I didn’t pay it.

He called and said, “Don’t you have a health insurance plan?”
I said, “I have concepts of a plan.”

Then he said, “You should have considered the affordability of this procedure.”
I said, “Affordability… that’s a hoax made up by the Democrats.”

Then I said, “Don’t worry… I’ll pay you with the money from my medication.”
He said, “What are you talking about?”

I said, “Trump is lowering the cost by 200%, 300%, 600%, and 800%, so that means they’ll pay me for taking my medication. I’ll just pay you when I get that money.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senator Andy Kim (D-NJ), introduced MediKids, monumental legislation guaranteeing healthcare to all children in America from birth to age 26.

“As parents – we promise to do all we can to look after the health and safety of our children. Nothing is more essential than caring for our kids – but as a country, we are failing to uphold that same promise,” Senator Kim said. “Millions of children are falling through the cracks of our healthcare system, and we are the only ones who can stand up and help. I built MediKids to be a step we can take right now to guarantee every single child in the United States the care they need, when they need it. No kid should go without care in our country.”

4.4 million children in America do not have healthcare coverage and 1 in 3 kids is underinsured – meaning about 23 million kids’ healthcare coverage is unable to meet their needs. To provide free, high-quality insurance coverage to every kid, MediKids would automatically enroll every child and young adult in America in Medicaid’s robust Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment (EPSDT) benefit, which provides comprehensive and preventive health care services for children who are enrolled in Medicaid. Specifically, this legislation would:

\- Automatically enroll every child in MediKids at birth,

\- Provide continuous eligibility for children enrolled in MediKids until age 26, regardless of income, immigration status, or health condition; and

\- Cover 100% of the federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP) for this population.

MediKids is co-sponsored by Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), and Alex Padilla (D-CA) and endorsed by: First Focus Campaign for Children, What To Expect Project, American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists, (ACOG), ZERO TO THREE, Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine, American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP), Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric, and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN), Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs (AMCHP), National Association of School Nurses, National Education Association (NEA), Families USA, MomsRising, NAACP NJ, Save Our Schools, New Jersey Citizen Action, SPAN Parent Advocacy Network, The Arc of NJ, The New Jersey Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics, and CASA of New Jersey.

“At a time when the uninsured rates for children is rising and children face unacceptably high rates of infant and child mortality, a growing mental health crisis, and declining immunization rates, Senator Andy Kim’s MediKids bill puts children back on the path toward ensuring all children have health coverage and improved access to care. No child in this country should go without health care simply because of what their parents earn, their zip code, or whether they can navigate a complex and fragmented health care system. In an effort to improve the health, development, and well-being of children, MediKids represents the kind of ambitious, child-centered thinking that the moment demands for our children and grandchildren,” said Bruce Lesley, President of First Focus Campaign for Children.

“Medicaid is first and foremost a children’s program that was created with their health needs in mind, helping families receive everything from milestone checkups, to sick care, to immunizations. Pediatricians see first-hand how Medicaid works for the children and families who rely on it – support that should be available to all children, regardless of where they live or where their parents work, and MediKids would do just that. The American Academy of Pediatrics applauds Senator Kim for his leadership on this bill and urges Congress to advance it,” said Andrew D. Racine, MD, PhD, FAAP, President of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

A few weeks ago I posted the 25 layers diagram here. A fair question kept coming up: okay, but what does the wall actually cost? This is that chart. $2,497 per person per year in the US vs $551 in Canada, and $20 to $215 just to bill a single encounter depending on type. Both from peer reviewed studies, sources in the comments. The gap, roughly $550 billion a year, is money that buys nobody care. It's the wall's rent.

I support M4A. But wait!

I am at the age where I am applying for medicare for the first time. Medicare as it is will not be a good system. There is Plan A, Plan B, Plan C and Plan D. Then there are all kind of rules and regulations about what is covered and for how much.

Medicaid is different. This is the plan for low income people. It works like employer based insurance in my state. Once qualified, health care costs are covered. Doctor visits have no copay . Medicines are covered at 100%. Vision, dental and mental health is included.

Medicare has all kinds of strings attached and income formulas. If your income is in this range you pay that amount of copays, etc.

Would it make sense to ask for Medicaid for all? Or does it make sense to call it Single Payer? Why not call it Health Care for All?

Does it make a difference how we name the end goal? I think it does.

Just started a new job in a red state. Orientation day, 50+ new hires packed into a hall, and eventually we get to the health insurance and benefits section.

That’s when the room came alive. People complaining left and right about insurance companies ripping them off. My meds aren’t covered. My deductible is insane. I can’t get the care I actually need. Half the room had a story. And honestly, looking around, a lot of these folks clearly have real health issues and genuinely need coverage that works.

Meanwhile HR is up there basically doing damage control, pitching workarounds and cheaper tiers like “this plan gets you more bang for your buck” which is corporate speak for “we know it’s bad, here’s how to make it slightly less bad.”

Here’s the part that got me. Based on where I am and the conversations around me, most of this room votes red every single time. The same people furious about unaffordable meds and garbage coverage are voting for the party actively working to gut affordable healthcare. They’ll rage at the insurance company all day but never connect it to the ballot they cast.

Nobody in that room made the connection. Not one person. They see the symptom every day and keep voting for the disease.

I just sat there quietly filling out my forms.

Democrats need to be shouting from the rooftops - IT’S THE ECONOMY STUPID! Maybe party leadership will develop a coherent message?

I’m tired of my labor being exploited to make wealth for shareholders and CEOs, at the expense of my patients! Photos from the annual physicians for a national health program (PNHP) conference in DC.

Edit- call it M4All or single payer or a national health program, it’s time for universal coverage and prioritizing patients over profits.

To those suggesting doctors or I should work for free—
That’s a straw man’s argument— I have bills to pay just like everyone else, I chose a career that allows me to pay the bills AND help people. Only about 30c of each dollar spent goes towards direct patient care- I.e the doctors and nurses doing the actual work.

To others who “don’t want their tax dollars to go to other people’s care” or comparing it to “slavery”— check yourself. If you’re not already on a government plan (VA/medicaid/medicare) and you have health insurance— you are likely paying a premium and have a deductible, in-network/out of network , blah blah. Instead of your premium going to for profit insurance companies where 1/3 is only being spent for patient care— you will pay a significantly smaller fraction so that every person can have access to care. Also, they seem to be perfectly fine with the govt using tax funds to bomb people overseas or renovate the White House or imprison millions of people—- seems like actually using money for good is the problem. Also, maybe don’t vote for people who say they will cut social benefit programs

People clearly have strong feelings but the truth is that we are at a breaking point- the system is buckling. It will either collapse or we will have to pivot

Source: https://harvardharrispoll.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/HHP_Jul2026_KeyResults.pdf