1. United States
2. Mich.
3. Letter

I am writing to urge you to support Medicare for All legislation that would establish universal healthcare in the United States. The current healthcare system is causing preventable deaths, financial devastation, and denying medically necessary care to millions of Americans. As a constituent, I see the human cost of our profit-driven system every day. Patients skip nausea medications during chemotherapy because of co-pays, delay critical diagnostic scans due to deductibles, and substitute ineffective online treatments for proven therapies simply because they cost less. Physicians report that insurance companies routinely deny coverage for medically recommended treatments, preventing them from providing quality care. The financial burden is crushing families. In 2023, average household medical debt reached $10,570. Sixty-six percent of bankruptcies are linked to medical issues, and 80% of those who went bankrupt had health insurance when they incurred the debt. A 2025 KFF poll found 70% of adults worry about medical or dental bills leading to debt. Americans overwhelmingly support universal healthcare. A May 2025 Pew poll shows 68% of Americans, including 90% of Democrats and 45% of Republicans, believe the government should provide health insurance for all. A November 2024 Gallup poll found 62% of Americans, including 65% of Independents, think the federal government should guarantee health coverage. The current system wastes 25 to 30% of healthcare spending on bureaucracy, overhead, and excessive profits for insurance corporations that provide no meaningful contribution to patient care. When Connecticut shifted from privatized to public Medicaid in 2011, early cancer detection increased by 4.7%, cancer survival increased by 8%, and the state saved over $4 billion over 13 years. The United States spends more per person on healthcare than any other developed nation yet has worse health outcomes, including lower life expectancy and higher maternal and infant mortality. Approximately 45,000 preventable deaths are already linked to lack of insurance annually. I urge you to champion Medicare for All legislation that eliminates profit-driven conflicts of interest, prior authorizations, co-pays, deductibles, and bankruptcy risks. Universal healthcare will save lives and align our system with what Americans actually want and deserve.