April 30, 2019-ALS patient advocate and activist Ady Barkan makes the case for Medicare for All to Congress

The House of Representatives is breaking ground Tuesday, conducting its first hearing on Medicare for All, and the star witness is social change warrior Ady Barkan, who is also dying of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis—ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.

Using an electronic voice, because he can no longer speak, Barkan focused his testimony on three of the big failings of our current healthcare system: high out-of-pocket costs; sparse to nonexistent coverage for long-term care; and the ridiculous bureaucracy private insurance companies have established for even covered care. “I have seen first hand how the current system creates absurdly wasteful cost-shifting, delays, billing disputes, rationing, and worry,” ,” Barkan told the House Committee on Rules. Read more https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2019/4/30/1854304/-Progressive-activist-hero-ALS-sufferer-Ady-Barkan-makes-the-case-for-Medicare-for-all-to-Congress