[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 183 (Tuesday, December 10, 2024)]
[House]
[Page H6546]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     AMERICA NEEDS MEDICARE FOR ALL

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Khanna) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. KHANNA. Mr. Speaker, across our land, there is outrage at private 
health insurance companies that are denying claims: denying claims for 
heart disease, denying claims for cancer, denying claims for diabetes.
  Mr. Speaker, the average cancer patient in America will lose their 
entire life savings in 2 years. Forty-two percent of Americans who have 
cancer lose their life savings in 2 years. Mr. Speaker, 18 percent of 
Americans have had their healthcare claims denied, over 3.4 million 
Americans.
  On a very small matter, I had my healthcare claim denied by 
UnitedHealthcare when I wanted to get a $100 nasal pump for allergies. 
Back it came: denied. I couldn't get that reversed. Imagine people with 
more serious problems.
  One of the people in my district, Sarah Broughton, died of a sinus 
infection because her health insurance companies denied her claims for 
basic healthcare.
  As Americans face denial after denial after denial, what is happening 
with these private insurance companies? Let me tell you: $1.4 trillion 
in revenue, $70 billion in profits for the top seven private insurance 
companies. They say, oh, it is only 5 percent profit, but it is $1.4 
trillion sucked out of our economy while basic Americans are denied 
healthcare.
  What is this money going to? It is going to administrative costs. It 
is going to advertising. It is going to bloated executive pay salaries 
while we can't give people treatment for cancer, for diabetes, for 
basic health issues.
  The American people are outraged, and they are rising up across our 
country, demanding fundamental change to a broken healthcare system. 
Enough.
  Here are three things that we could do: First, if a doctor prescribes 
a medicine, the private insurance company must cover it if Medicare 
covers it. That is common sense.
  Second, let us cap out-of-pocket costs so you don't have someone who 
has cancer depleting their entire life savings. Cap those costs at 
$2,000 a year.
  Third, let us make sure that these private insurance companies can't 
rely on AI to have AI-generated algorithms that deny claims. No AI used 
to deny Americans' claims.
  Really, what we need, Mr. Speaker, is what so many other democracies 
have. We need Medicare for All. The reality is, the average American is 
paying more than $6,000 a year on healthcare costs, and those premiums 
are up 7 percent from last year. We are not going to get those premiums 
down. We are not going to get those healthcare costs down unless we 
have Medicare for All.
  When we have Medicare for All, we will have 2 percent administrative 
fees. Medicare will be able to negotiate with the hospitals and the 
pharmaceutical companies to lower costs for all Americans and provide 
care.
  Guess what. If we have Medicare for All, every doctor and every 
hospital will be in network. No more of these denied claims that are 
bankrupting Americans and taking people's lives.
  Mr. Speaker, I represent a district in Silicon Valley that has $12 
trillion of value: Apple, Google, Nvidia, Tesla. We are producing more 
wealth in my ZIP Code than anyplace in human history. How is it that in 
the wealthiest nation in the world when we are producing more wealth 
than ever before, Americans can't get basic healthcare?
  Healthcare is a human right. We have the money to make sure every 
American is covered and not denied. It is time for change. It is time 
to hold private health insurance companies accountable. It is time to 
fight and pass Medicare for All.

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