In case you missed it, U.S. Senator Gary Peters yesterday hosted a conversation on protecting health care in Michigan with Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist, former Acting Administrator of Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Andy Slavitt, and President/CEO of the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare Max Richtman, moderated by Protect Our Care Michigan State Director Dianne Byrum.
WLUC: Sen. Peters vows to protect the Affordable Care Act during virtual campaign event
- Healthcare was the focus of a virtual campaign event held by Senator Gary Peters Tuesday morning. Peters says a focus of his during the COVID-19 pandemic is protecting the Affordable Care Act.
- “One thing that certainly comes out of this pandemic is it highlights the need for us to make sure that we have quality, affordable, healthcare for all Americans,” said Peters. “To me, healthcare is a right, it’s one that we need to focus on to make sure that it’s available.”
- The Affordable Care Act, known commonly as Obamacare is responsible for the healthcare coverage of more than 800,000 Michiganders. For that reason, Sen. Peters outlined his desire to see the law expanded, and embraced.
- “We should open up the enrollment of the Affordable Care Act now so that people who may not have health insurance have the opportunity to have that peace of mind now,” said Peters.
Michigan Advance: Michigan ranks 6th for adults stripped of health care during pandemic
- Due to job losses this spring, over 222,000 Michiganders lost their health care coverage during the COVID-19 pandemic. A recent report from Families USA, a Washington, D.C.-based, nonpartisan consumer advocacy group, states that Michigan, the 10th most populous state, has the sixth highest number of newly uninsured adults.
- Michigan saw a 46% increase in the number of uninsured adults compared to the same periods in 2018. This is the 4th highest percent increase in the country.
- During a roundtable on Tuesday, U.S. Sen. Gary Peters (D-Bloomfield Twp.), Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist and former Acting Administrator of Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Andy Slavitt talked about how access to health care is crucial during a pandemic.
- “Nearly a quarter of a million people [in Michigan] have lost health care coverage as a result of losing their jobs and of the dislocation that we are seeing in our economy as a result of this crisis,” Peters said. “At the same time that folks are losing health care and people are afraid should they contract the disease and be infected and go into the hospital and have immense bills when they come out, we have a Trump administration that is actively trying to dismantle and end the Affordable Care Act (ACA).”
Michigan Daily: Panel discusses the importance of protecting Affordable Care Act during COVID-19
- Peters started the conversation by describing his work as a ranking member of the U.S. Senate’s Homeland Security and Governmental Affair Committee and his work with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which oversees the federal response to threats against national security like COVID-19. Peters said he believes President Donald Trump’s administration lacked a coordinated national response to COVID-19.
- “The president was very slow in even recognizing the extent of the pandemic we are facing as other countries around the world were gearing up to deal with this pandemic,” Peters said. “We lost precious time. That was very clear as I worked with FEMA.”
- According to Peters, the effects of being unprepared for COVID-19 included not having enough personal protective equipment gear and inadequate testing supplies in COVID-19 hotspots within Michigan. He emphasized the extent of the damages and the need to fight against the Trump administration’s intention to overturn the Affordable Care Act. Peters pointed to a report published by Families USA which revealed 5.4 million Americans lost their health insurance coverage due to loss of employment.
- “To me, healthcare is a right,” Peters said. “It is something we have to be focused on to make sure it is available.”
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