The recent letter, ”Medicare hooey” [Gazette, May 6] is correct about Medicare’s woefully inadequate coverage, however is mistaken about Medicare for All. Medicare for All is very different. It is comprehensive health care coverage for everyone in Massachusetts, including employees, unemployed, employers, government workers, poor individuals, families, and anyone living in the state. There would be no premiums, deductibles, co-payments, and denials of coverage; Medicare for All would cover primary care, hospitalization, specialists, dental, behavioral health, addiction, hearing, and eye care. It will eliminate the insurance companies which not only profit substantially but add 30% percent in administrative costs for their role of middleman.

Medicare for All is a single-payer health care system as it eliminates the insurance middleman. That is why it is called Medicare for All, as Medicare is a single-payer system. People who receive Medicare and Medicaid will be rolled into Medicare for All and would not lose any services. The Medicare for All system will be administered by a private trust represented by 29 individuals that include not only health professionals, but also people with diverse backgrounds. It would be paid for by current federal and state health care spending, plus fair taxes to replace insurance premiums, and all out of pocket expenses, at great savings. For example, employees would only pay 2.5% of payroll. In all cases, the first $20,000 is exempt.

The majority of Massachusetts voters voted for Medicare for All on the ballot referendum, yet the bill continues to be held up at the Legislature. We need all state representatives and senators to co-sponsor this bill. It is undemocratic that the Speaker of the House, Ronald Mariano, and the President of the Senate, Karen Spilka are holding this up. Lobbyists for the anti-single payer insurance companies donate money to these politicians. It is ethically wrong for our legislators to placate to insurance companies, and hold up this bill, An Act Establishing Medicare for All in Massachusetts.We need all our state senators and representatives to co-sponsor this bill. S.860 and H.1405. For more information, visit https://masscare.org.

Cynthia Chamberland

Easthampton