Please sign the petition here:
https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/tell-gov-mills-during-this-pandemic-we-need-universal-healthcare
Gov. Mills must utilize every resource available to address the healthcare needs of all Mainers amid the COVID-19 pandemic which has initiated a public health and economic crisis unprecedented in our lifetimes. Important steps have been taken by Gov. Mills to respond to our circumstances, the situation however, is dire, and requires a far more comprehensive response. We need publicly funded universal healthcare now.
The pandemic has made clear the failings of our for-profit healthcare system. From hospitals to pharmaceutical companies, our system incentivizes efficiency for the sake of profit, over quality and capacity for care.
Thousands of Mainers across the state have lost jobs, income, and healthcare coverage and will become un- or under-insured. The pandemic is also exposing the deadly impact of racism in this country, as Black, Latinx, and Indigenous communities are hit hardest. Universal health care is fundamental to ending the structural inequalities which are the root cause of these health disparities.
At the federal level, the recently passed stimulus package includes half a trillion dollars to bailout corporations, who in the past year used massive tax-cuts to finance stock buy-backs and executive bonuses. We know that we can afford to care for all people.
Healthcare is a human right. With the spread of COVID-19, we will all not be safe unless we remove all economic barriers to healthcare and create a universally accessible system that provides screenings, testing, and treatments without cost. In addition to universal healthcare, we demand Gov. Mills take any possible actions to address the immediate health and safety needs of all Mainers, including those outlined in the letter below.
(If you represent an organization or institution that would like to sign on , please contact drew@maineworkers.)