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Frederick approves resolution supporting Medicare for All

Frederick News-Post - 6/2/2023

Jun. 2—In hopes of sending a message to federal officials, the city of Frederick's mayor and aldermen have supported a federal single-payer health care system.

The aldermen voted 4-0 Thursday night to approve a resolution endorsing "Medicare for All," a health care system that would provide coverage without premiums, copays, deductibles, and other out-of-pocket costs.

Alderwoman Donna Kuzemchak was not present for the meeting.

Medicare for All aims to reduce bureaucracy in the country's health care system by expanding the idea of a federal single-payer system, said Mayor Michael O'Connor, who brought the resolution of support to the aldermen.

With Thursday's vote, Frederick becomes one of more than 120 jurisdictions around the country — including the city of Annapolis and Montgomery, Prince George's, and Charles counties — to officially endorse Medicare for All.

The city's resolution will be forwarded to the city's representatives at the state and federal level to express support for a federal system, O'Connor said.

In the past, bills supporting Medicare for All have been co-sponsored by Maryland U.S. Reps. Paul Sarbanes, Jamie Raskin, and Kweisi Mfume, as well as current state Attorney General Anthony Brown, a former congressman, according to a report prepared by members of the city's staff.

Alderwoman Katie Nash noted that the city recently agreed to provide health care to its part-time workers, which it had not previously done.

Annette Breiling, a member of the Frederick chapter of the group Health Care is a Human Right, said her group collected nearly 1,000 signatures on petitions from people who believe the time for a universal health care system has come.

Medicare for All isn't getting the attention at a federal level that those people would like to see, which is why local resolutions like the one passed Thursday are important, she said.

Gabrielle Bates told the aldermen that finding health coverage has been difficult since she was diagnosed with a chronic illness as a child.

The passage of the Affordable Care Act in 2010 opened doors for people with chronic conditions, but there's still a lot of work to do, she said.

"Everybody still balks when it's a chronic health care condition," Bates said.

Follow Ryan Marshall on Twitter: @RMarshallFNP

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