While the impending economic devastation from COVID-19 is obvious, there’s a side effect that may be getting overlooked: As many get laid off, Americans are about to learn how irrational & irresponsible it is for so many to be dependent on employers for health insurance. (1/9)
Most Americans whose families depend on their employers for coverage are just a layoff away from being uninsured. And right now, many businesses are shutting down or considering layoffs -- already 1 in 5 households have lost work due to COVID-19👇 (2/9) npr.org/2020/03/17/817…
Across the country we're seeing reports of layoffs in almost all industries. As we likely approach a global recession, some analysts suggest that a million or more U.S. workers will lose their jobs in April alone. Consider what this means for health care in this country. (3/9)
We’ve seen this before. During the last big recession, the number covered by private health insurance decreased by nearly 7 million between 2008-2009, due to loss of employer-provided insurance. Nearly every demographic & geographic group saw a rise in the uninsured rate. (4/9)
A huge number of economists now say Medicare for All would greatly help this country deal with a recession. That's obviously even more critical now since our coming pain is tied to a health emergency. Check out a new report on this point here👇 (5/9)
epi.org/press/medicare…
epi.org/press/medicare…
The number of Americans with coverage through an employer has steadily dropped. Since 1999, U.S. population has risen by 50 million but the number with job-based coverage declined by over 3 million. And it most certainly will drop like a rock in the coming weeks & months. (6/9)
A big reason we still have this antiquated way of covering Americans is that my old industry (the health insurance racket) makes a killing off it. For many big insurers, most of their revenues come from managing benefits for employers who then assume much of the risk. (7/9)
The insurance industry will do anything to protect this profitable system. Their big trade group (AHIP) recently launched a PR campaign called “Coverage@Work” with catchphrases like "comprehensive healthcare," "financial security" & "peace of mind”👇 (8/9)
ahip.org/coverage-at-wo…
ahip.org/coverage-at-wo…
I used to write this propaganda for the insurance industry. Don’t buy it. It's time to ditch our employer-sponsored healthcare system before millions more lose coverage. Instead we need a system that would be *truly* comprehensive & provide peace of mind: Medicare for All. /END.
