Darren Washington,
 
As an elected delegate to the Indiana Democratic State Convention I submit this resolution
to be discussed and voted on at the convention.

WHEREAS, our society has a moral obligation to ensure health care for all its people; and

WHEREAS, seven percent of Hoosiers under the age of 65 have no health insurance; and

WHEREAS, despite important gains made through the Affordable Care Act, 43% of working-age
adults in the US were inadequately insured in 2023, including 9% who were uninsured,
12% who had a gap in coverage over the past year, and 23% whose coverage did not
provide affordable access to health care; and

WHEREAS, the COVID pandemic underscored the weakness and inequality of the US
for- profit health care: with under 5% of the world's population, the US suffered 16% of
the world's COVID deaths; millions in the US lost their employer sponsored insurance;
and people of color in the Hoosier state suffered disproportionately higher rates of
infection and mortality; and

WHEREAS, the typical non-elderly family in the U.S. spends $5,600 per year out of pocket
on health care premiums, deductibles, co-pays, co-insurance and uncovered care, and
federal and state taxes for health programs, placing a substantial financial burden on
moderate-income households who do not qualify for Medicaid; and

WHEREAS, many people delay seeking needed health care because they cannot afford
the upfront costs, leading to a sicker and poorer population; and

WHEREAS, the ever-increasing costs of health care for Hoosiers challenge our already
strapped state and municipal budgets; and

WHEREAS, our complex and confusing for-profit health care financing system often results
in Hoosiers receiving large, unexpected bills, calls from debt collectors, and in some cases
bankruptcy; and

WHEREAS, US healthcare outcomes include glaring racial inequalities that are due in part
in Hoosiers receiving large, unexpected bills, calls from debt collectors, and in some cases
bankruptcy; and
 
WHEREAS, US healthcare outcomes include glaring racial inequalities that are due in part
to the system's unequal and complex access to care; however, in those parts of US
healthcare where access is universal, such as Medicare, the VA, and dialysis, health care
outcomes for people of color match and even exceed those of Whites; and
 
WHEREAS, the Medicare for All Act of 2025 (H.R. 3069/S. 1506) will provide national health
insurance for every person living in the United States, covering all necessary primary,
preventative and medical care; including hospital, surgical, and outpatient services,
prescription drugs, mental health and substance abuse treatment; emergency services;
reproductive care; dental, hearing and vision care; and long term care; from birth to death; and
 
WHEREAS, the Medicare for All Act of 2025 will provide this care without copays, deductibles,
or other out of pocket costs, and will eliminate most prior authorization delays, reduce
bureaucracy, protect the doctor patient relationship, and assure patients a free choice of
providers and hospitals; and
 
WHEREAS, Medicare for All will guarantee that all Hoosiers and other US residents will be
fully covered for health care anywhere in the United States, regardless of employment
status, marital status, citizenship status, income, age, or geography; and
 
WHEREAS, The new bills for both the House and Senate have been reintroduced for an
expanded and improved Medicare for All which would cover everyone in the US from cradle
to grave for any medically necessary care and medication; and
 
WHEREAS, The Congressional Budget Office has estimated that Medicare for All would
save our health care system $650 billion a year; and
 
WHEREAS, Researchers at Yale University have estimated that Medicare for All would save
68,000 lives a year; and
​
WHEREAS, recent polls show that two thirds of Americans support Medicare for All.
 
Now, therefore,
 
BE IT RESOLVED that we, the members of INDEMS, enthusiastically support the Medicare
for All Act of 2025 (H.R. 3069 and S. 1506) and call on our federal legislators to work toward
its swift enactment to ensure equal access to high quality health care for all who reside in
the United States.
.
Submitted by Darren L Washington Delegate to the Indiana State Convention