1. United States
2. N.Y.
3. Letter

I’m writing to urge Congress to take meaningful action to separate access to health insurance from employment, whether through a single-payer system, a strong public option, or another form of guaranteed public coverage. Losing a job is already one of the most stressful events a person can experience. Losing health insurance at the same time makes that experience significantly worse. Instead of being able to focus on finding a new job, building something new, or figuring out the next stage of life, people are forced to worry about whether they can afford a doctor, prescriptions, therapy, or an unexpected medical emergency. That insecurity is not good for mental health, but it is also not good for the economy. One of the supposed strengths of the American economy is entrepreneurship. Yet our current health insurance system creates a powerful incentive for people to remain in traditional employment simply because they are afraid of losing affordable healthcare. I know that if I lose my job and my employer-sponsored health insurance, I would be far less likely to take the financial risk of starting a new business. Instead, I would feel pressure to find another employer as quickly as possible so that I could regain stable health coverage. That is a form of “job lock,” and it discourages exactly the kind of risk-taking, innovation, and small-business creation that Congress should want to encourage. Healthcare should provide people with security, not make them afraid to change jobs, become self-employed, or start a company. Americans should be able to pursue opportunities without wondering whether doing so could leave them uninsured. I urge you to support reforms that guarantee affordable healthcare regardless of employment status. A single-payer system would accomplish this directly, while a robust public option could at least give people a dependable alternative to employer-sponsored insurance. Providing healthcare security would not only improve people’s well-being. It would give more Americans the freedom to take risks, build businesses, and contribute to a stronger and more dynamic economy.