National Nurses United Makes the Case for Medicare for All

Jamie Brown, one of four National Presidents of National Nurses United, and Jasmine Ruddy, Director of Medicare for All and Community Campaigns for the NNU, joined the America's Work Force Union Podcast to discuss a growing national campaign to make Medicare for All the centerpiece of the next major health care reform push.

More than 335 organizations have signed an open letter delivered to every member of Congress, calling for a single-payer system that would cover every person in the United States. The letter comes as federal health care cuts are expected to leave between 10 million and 16 million more Americans uninsured in the coming years.

Brown and Ruddy made the case that Medicare for All is not just a health care issue but a labor issue, arguing that separating health coverage from employment would free workers to change jobs, bargain for better wages and strike without fear. A national day of action is planned for July 30 to honor the 61st anniversary of Medicare's original passage, with actions at congressional district offices across the country.

• More than 335 organizations have signed an open letter to every member of Congress calling for Medicare for All, including labor unions, senior advocates, disability rights organizations, women's rights groups and large national organizations such as Indivisible and MoveOn. The letter reflects what both guests described as an urgent political window as Democrats begin discussing their health care agenda heading into 2028 and 2029. The NNU's message to Democrats is: do not start by asking for half of what is needed.
• Brown described the human cost of the current system from the hospital floor, where she said patients are arriving sicker than they used to because they have delayed care they could not afford, with some arriving too sick to be saved. The Medicaid, Medicare and ACA cuts included in recent federal legislation will make the situation significantly worse, with an estimated 10 million to 16 million additional people facing loss of coverage in the coming years, she said.
• Ruddy argued that Medicare for All would be transformational for the labor movement, specifically because it would remove health care from the bargaining table. This would free unions to bargain for better wages, working conditions and pensions, while also eliminating the leverage employers use when they threaten to cut health benefits during strikes. Unions like the UAW and UE are active coalition partners in the campaign through the Labor Campaign for Single Payer, and called passing Medicare for All the single biggest potential victory for the working class in American history, she said.

Why Now?

Nurses have been fighting for Medicare for All for decades. What makes this moment different, Jasmine Ruddy said, is a combination of factors arriving at the same time. Federal legislation passed last year cut Medicaid, Medicare and Affordable Care Act funds and would leave between 10 million and 16 million more Americans without coverage in the next few years. And in Washington, Democrats are already beginning to discuss what health care reform they can realistically push for if they take back Congress and the White House in 2028 and 2029.

The National Nurses United campaign's message to those conversations is simple: do not start by asking for half of what is needed. Nurses do not go to the bargaining table asking for half of what they want, Ruddy said, and Democratic lawmakers should not either. The demand is Medicare for All and nothing less.

The Letter and the Coalition

To make their case, more than 335 organizations signed an open letter to every member of Congress. The list includes labor unions, senior advocates, disability rights organizations, women's rights groups and large national organizations, including Indivisible and MoveOn. The letter has been delivered to every congressional office. Capitol Hill visits are planned. The campaign is working toward an informal hearing in Washington and a national day of action on July 30.

The July 30 date was chosen as it marks the 61st anniversary of the original passage of Medicare in 1965. Actions are being organized at congressional district offices across the country, with supporters delivering copies of the letter and materials supporting Medicare for All, Ruddy said. There will even be birthday elements, including balloons and cake, to mark the anniversary, she said. Anyone who wants to join an action near them or host one in their district can sign up at medicare4all.org.

What Workers Are Going Through

Jamie Brown works as a nurse and hears firsthand about the state of American health care. She said the picture is not good. Patients are coming into her hospital sicker than they used to. They have delayed necessary care because they could not afford it. Some arrive too sick to be helped. She called it disgusting that the country is letting people die because they cannot afford to see a doctor.

She also addressed frequent comparisons to other countries. When Brown describes to people in countries with universal coverage what it is like to navigate the American insurance system, finding an in-network doctor, checking whether a procedure is covered and managing what is left after the insurance company pays its share, she said they laugh. Not because it is funny, but because none of that is part of their experience. They can go to any doctor they want and see them within a reasonable time. The idea that someone might skip an MRI because they cannot afford the out-of-pocket cost, a situation that is routine in the United States, simply does not exist in the same way.

She also pushed back on the idea that a solution requires finding new money. The money, she said, is already there. The priorities are the problem.

What It Means for Unions

Ruddy made an extended case for why Medicare for All is a labor issue, not just a health issue.

Health care is consistently the most contested issue at the bargaining table across the labor movement. Costs keep rising. More of those costs get passed from employers onto workers every year. Every hour spent bargaining over health coverage is an hour not spent on wages, working conditions or pensions. A single-payer system would remove that entire category from collective bargaining, freeing up unions to fight for things they have had less room to address.

The other dimension she raised is the leverage employers currently hold over workers during strikes. The threat to cut health benefits during a work stoppage is real, and it creates fear. Once health coverage is no longer tied to employment, that threat disappears. Medicare for All would make workers more confident to strike and more willing to hold out for what they need, she said.

The connection to job mobility is just as significant. Too many workers stay in jobs they would otherwise leave because they cannot risk losing their family's health coverage. Separating health care from employment would give workers the freedom to change jobs, change careers or start their own businesses without that fear hanging over every decision.

Ruddy cited the UAW and UE as active partners through the Labor Campaign for Single Payer, a coalition organization focused specifically on building union support for Medicare for All. She said growing understanding among union workers that health care is the number one issue at the bargaining table is one of the strongest forces driving the campaign forward.

The Biggest Win the Working Class Has Never Had

Brown offered a final thought on the topic. The momentum behind the campaign is real, the grassroots support is growing and nurses are going to keep leading the fight. The time is now, she said. Medicare for All is the real solution, and the campaign is not slowing down.

Listeners who want to get involved can join the July 30 day of action or sign up for updates at medicare4all.org.

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