Open Letter Calls for Medicare for All

Advocates argue that incremental health-care reforms have failed to curb rising costs, and they point to a potential legislative window in 2029. The 2026 midterm elections are also highlighted as a pivotal moment for health-care policy.

Common Dreams

More than 325 groups signed the letter, led by Public Citizen, National Nurses United, People’s Action Institute, Social Security Works, Physicians for a National Health Program, Labor Campaign for Single Payer, and Healthcare-NOW. Additional signatories include Indivisible, MoveOn, United Auto Workers (UAW), American Postal Workers Union (APWU), International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE), American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFA-CWA), United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America (UE), and Actors’ Equity Association.

Common Dreams

Polls cited in the letter show 63 % of all voters and 90 % of Democratic voters favor Medicare for All. In Congress, a majority of the House Democratic Caucus now backs the proposal, and Senate legislation has added three co-sponsors since the prior Congress.

Common Dreams

Proponents argue a single-payer system would eliminate corporate profit motives, reduce medical debt, and guarantee coverage for every U.S. resident, addressing delays, denials, and financial strain in the current fragmented system.

Common Dreams

The open letter warns that “half-measures will not meet the scale of the health-care crisis” and calls for an “everybody in, nobody out” approach. Public Citizen health-care policy advocate Eagan Kemp described the momentum as a “wake-up call” to entities that profit from the existing system. The letter also notes that a “small minority of skeptical health-care policy wonks” may argue for scaling back the proposal.

Common Dreams

Some policy analysts cited in the letter contend that a nationwide single-payer model may be financially and logistically unfeasible, favoring incremental reforms instead.

Common Dreams

• “The letter reads, in part: “We may face a once-in-a-generation opportunity to legislate on health care in 2029.” — Open Letter Signatories

Common Dreams

• “The massive momentum for Medicare for All should serve as a wakeup call to all who profit from our broken health care system and those who do their bidding,” — Eagan Kemp, Public Citizen Health Care Policy Advocate

Common Dreams

• “The movement for Medicare for All is growing by leaps and bounds because the people are demanding change.” — Eagan Kemp, Public Citizen

Common Dreams

Advocates intend to use the 2029 legislative window and the 2026 midterms to mobilize support for a comprehensive single-payer bill, emphasizing grassroots organizing over incremental adjustments.

Common Dreams