Midterms: Chicken Soup for the Electoral Soul

Medicare for All

The 2022 midterm elections are MOSTLY in the books - thank again Georgia, for the endless run-offs that keep on giving, every two years it seems like. You’ve heard the national narrative: Democrats did surprisingly well, given how parties in power usually take big losses during the mid-terms, and particularly when Biden has such low approval numbers. Today we'll talk about how healthcare did on Election Day, and how the fight over Medicare for All within the Democratic Party affected those results. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuqxhi7mGtU Show Notes First the good news, some wins on single payer healthcare ballot measures: Oregon: voters approve Measure 111, a constitutional amendment enshrining access to affordable healthcare as a fundamental right. Oregon is now the first state with a constitutional obligation to provide healthcare to constituents. The amendment states that Oregon is obligated to "ensure every resident has access to cost-effective, clinically appropriate and affordable health care as a fundamental right,” but not does define what health care access looks like or how the state will fund it. South Dakota: voters approve Constitutional Amendment D, expanding Medicaid eligibility under the ACA, covering 45,000 more South Dakotans. Anybody in making less than 133 percent of the federal poverty level (about $18,000 for an individual or $36,900 for a family of four) would now qualify for Medicaid coverage. There were 12 states left that had not expanded Medicaid - and now there are 11! South Dakota is the seventh state to approve Medicaid expansion via the popular vote. (Medicaid Expansion has passed all seven times.) Some experts predict a slow rollout/implementation similar to that seen in Missouri. Arizona: voters approve Proposition 209, or the Predatory Debt Collection Act, which cuts down on interest rates on medical debt and increases the amount of assets protected from creditors. The average Arizonan with medical debt has $1,903 in collections and while 20% of white Arizonans have medical debt in collections, that number for communities of color is much higher at 39%. In Arizona, interest rates for medical debt increase by as much as 10% each year - this legislation caps the interest rate at 3%. It also protects homes, household furnishings, vehicles and bank accounts from collections or forced sale. Run by Healthcare Rising Arizona, a grassroots, labor-backed organization, this law is the first of its kind. Of course the interest groups backed by collection agencies launched a legal challenge against the ballot initiative. Sadly for them, it failed. The proposition passed by with 75% support. While it doesn't address the main issue of high medical costs, the new law will provide real relief to people struggling with medical bills. Massachusetts: a non-binding ballot policy question in favor of M4A passes in 20 state house districts. Our friends at MassCare put single-payer on the ballot, instructing state representatives to support Medicare for All. The question passed in all 20 districts. Most states don't have this tool; it doesn't require the legislator to sponsor a bill, but it can be an effective pressure tool for legislators who aren't supporters of M4A yet. Great work by our comrades at MassCare, especially former Healthcare-NOW Communications Director/current Executive Director Stephanie Nakajima. Our own Ben Day organized around this question in his own neighborhood. He found talking to voters about this ballot measure was a great way to bring new people into the movement and hear new stories about the healthcare system. The question passed by over 77% in his district, so good job, Ben! The Pros of Ballot Questions: when you put something popular like Medicare for All to a vote, you win! However, passing and implementing ballot initiatives require deep, heavy duty organizing, and a lot of follow up.