Lauren Underwood Builds A Bad-Ass Healthcare Bridge To Medicare For All

Stephen Robinson May 02, 2019 11:24 AM

Lauren Underwood is one of our favorite new congressional bad asses. The youngest black woman -- ever -- to serve in the House, the former registered nurse flipped a seat in Illinois's solidly Republican 14th district. You might also remember Underwood from the time she grilled former DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen about her child torture hobby. Underwood campaigned on protecting the Affordable Care Act, and she's still dancing with the issue that brought her to Congress. Most of her freshman class has signed onto Medicare For All, and while Underwood supports universal coverage, she wants to strengthen the ACA until we get there.

Underwood recently introduced HR 1868, the Health Care Affordability Act. It's part of a bundle of health care legislation from House Democrats that's intended to "shore up and expand" the ACA. Her co-sponsors are House representatives Jimmy Gomez from California and Tom O'Halleran from Arizona. HR 1868 qualifies more Americans to receive tax credits, expands eligibility for premium tax credits, and lowers premiums.

It's important to recognize that ACA Part Deux isn't an alternative to Medicare For All or single payer or any other universal coverage program. Rather, it serves as a vital short-term solution. Health care analyst Charles Gaba explained on Twitter that Underwood's bill could be implemented almost immediately. Both Medicare for All and Medicare for America, which Beto O'Rourke supports, will take some time to ramp up. HR 1868 will fill the gap.

Underwood is playing a key role here in the future success of any universal coverage program. Republicans have attempted to sabotage the Affordable Care Act at both the state and federal levels, both before and after Donald Trump took office. They're guaranteed to play the same obstructive games with whatever Democrats try to do. Smoothing out the bumps in the road as Americans transition to a better system is good for the public. It also denies Republicans the ability to use frustrated sick people as political hostages.

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https://www.wonkette.com/lauren-underwood-has-her-own-damn-health-care-plan-thank-you-very-much

THIS is how to do it!!