Security for Patients, Not Just Healthcare Giants

National Nurses United welcomes today’s decision by the U.S. Supreme Court upholding federal tax subsidies for low and moderate income people required to buy private health insurance, but said nurses will continue to work for more comprehensive reform, expanding Medicare to cover all Americans.
 

In the 6-3 ruling upholding federal subsidies under the Affordable Care Act, Chief Justice John Roberts emphasized what NNU, the nation’s largest organization of nurses, called the key line in the decision: "Congress passed the Affordable Care Act to improve health insurance markets, not to destroy them."
 

“Several million low and moderate income people who depend on the subsidies for the private insurance the law forces them to buy have received a reprieve today,” said NNU Co-President Jean Ross, RN. “But as Justice Roberts has reminded us all, the extremely wealthy healthcare industry, which has enormous influence in Washington, is the primary beneficiary of this law. 
 

“The ACA has mandated millions of new customers for the private insurance companies, and billions in additional revenues for hospital corporations, drug companies, information technology firms, and other healthcare corporations. That’s the private market today’s decision protects,” Ross noted.
 

“While profits are at record levels now for many in the healthcare industry, far too many people, the very patients nurses see every day, continue to remain without insurance, or saddled with un-payable medical bills under a law that has few effective price controls and reinforces an unjust, private insurance-based system.”
 

“That is why the nation’s nurses will never rest until all Americans are guaranteed access to a single standard of quality care, not based on ability to pay, socio-economic status, or what state you live in. The only real solution remains expanding and updating Medicare to cover everyone,” Ross continued.
 

NNU will be joining with labor, community, and healthcare activists across the country next month to mark, and celebrate the 50^th anniversary of the enactment of Medicare, one of the most successful and far reaching reforms in U.S. history.
 

Medicare for all events will be held in July 30 in Chicago, Detroit, El Paso, Tx, Lakewood, Oh, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, Oakland, Ca, Portland, Me, St. Paul, Washington, and other cities. For more information visit: http://www.medicareturns50.org/.