Our 10-Point Plan for Health Care Reform
Ten clear, actionable priorities to make care affordable, accessible, and grounded in solutions to issues that nurses and doctors see every day.
Read The Agenda Below
Nurses and doctors see that American health care is failing Americans. This 10-point Health Care Contract is the plan we recommend leaders take on to fix it. Grounded in what health care workers see every day, it lays out clear, actionable priorities to make health care more affordable, accessible, and accountable. Ask Nurses and Doctors (AND) is mobilizing health care professionals to support leaders who will make health care reforms like these a policy priority.
The Ten-Point Agenda
01
Provide Decent Health Insurance Options for All Working Families
Coverage through Medicare, Medicaid, employer-sponsored plans, or purchased through the ACA (Obamacare) — every working family deserves a real option.
02
Cap Medical Debt at $5,000
No family should face financial ruin from a medical crisis. A hard cap of $5,000 on medical debt provides a necessary safety net for every American household.
03
A Woman Has the Right to Choose What to Do With Her Body — Period
Reproductive autonomy is a fundamental right. Federal policy must protect a woman's right to make her own health care decisions without government interference.
04
Make Substance Abuse and Mental Health Treatment Freely Available
Clients must be able to access emergency MHSA services within 15 minutes and urgent care within 24 hours. Treatment should never be a privilege gated by cost or wait time.
05
Allow Medicare to Negotiate All Prescription Drug Prices
Like other countries and the VA here at home, Medicare must be empowered to negotiate all drug prices. Cap insulin and other life-saving medication costs for everyone. Require insurers to cover treatments ordered by doctors.
06
Make Elder Care Affordable and Reliable
Expand home care for seniors and people with disabilities. Raise wages for care workers so they can stay on the job and deliver quality, consistent care to those who need it most.
07
Protect, Expand, and Stabilize Social Security and Medicare
Expand Social Security benefits by $2,400 per year. Apply the Social Security payroll tax on all income over $250,000 — fully funding the program for 75 years, with no additional burden on 91% of US households.
08
All Federal Officials Must Abide by Science and Evidence-Based Medicine
Task the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) with establishing evidence-based guidelines for key government health care policies. Federal health officials who fail to meet this standard should resign or face impeachment.
09
Rebuild Our Public Health System
Strengthen the CDC and other public health institutions — don't tear them down. We are not prepared for the next inevitable pandemic. Task a nonpartisan body like the NAS to make formal recommendations on rebuilding public health infrastructure.
10
Make Health Insurance More Affordable
Reinstate ACA subsidies. Repeal Medicaid cuts. Create a Medicare option for people 60 and above and a public option for all Americans. End overpayment to Medicare Advantage. Empower government to negotiate all drug prices. Eliminate high-deductible plans that saddle families with unaffordable debt.