On Nov. 6, I strongly urge everyone to vote “yes” on question 4, and by doing so tell our legislators we want them to vote for single-payer health care (also known as Medicare for All) in Massachusetts. This is a non-binding question on local ballots, and by voting yes, we will be sending a strong message that health care is not a privilege, but a human right. Single-payer is a system in which private health care is financed through a publicly-funded health care trust. There would be no more premiums, co-pays, deductibles, or out-of-pocket fees. No more dealing with insurance companies. Every Massachusetts resident would be covered.
A single-payer system would reduce health care costs for our state by getting rid of the inefficiencies and high administrative costs of our multi-payer system. It would help Massachusetts business owners by removing the heavy burden of providing employees with health insurance.
However, I see this primarily as a moral issue, not a financial one. Tens of thousands of Americans die each year simply because they have no health insurance. They die because we have a health care system driven by profits for insurance companies rather than a respect for human life. When Americans get sick or injured (even those with insurance), many have to worry about whether they will go bankrupt or be able to keep their house. This is abhorrent.
Any country that allows this to happen to its citizens cannot call itself civilized. This is a question about who we are as a society. Are we a cutthroat society where it’s everyone out for themselves? Or are we a society where we care about whether the family down the street gets to keep their home and receive medical care? Where even the least among us can live a life of dignity?
Massachusetts should be a leader on this issue. If we can accomplish this here (and I’m sure we can), it will be an example for the rest of our country. If you believe, like I do, that health care is a basic human right, then vote “yes” to Medicare for All in Massachusetts. Vote “yes” on Question 4.
Jonathan Saloio
Huntington