My name is Andrew Sneathern, and I’m running for Congress in the 5th district to protect accessible and affordable healthcare for our community. I can’t sit by and watch as Trump, insurance companies, and big pharma attack the opportunities of our citizens through their dangerous healthcare policies. In this rural R+6 district that I’m running in, outsiders think “progressive values” and single-payer healthcare can’t be supported here. But healthcare and financial security should be subjected to partisan politics; we must ensure values and policies on healthcare protect our citizens. I am the only candidate that understands the needs that truly understands the rural needs of the 5th district when it comes to healthcare; where I grew up, I had to drive 40 minutes to the nearest hospital and access to primary care providers were limited. I believe we can expand upon the progress we’ve made with the Affordable Care Act with a few changes, and I have a plan that the 5th District, Virginians, and Americans desperately need:
I support a single payer healthcare system.
So do 52% of Americans. Beginning with a public option, single payer is a way to create a universal system of opportunity. Citizens will finally be able to protect their families and their bank accounts from financial ruin because they got sick. It will also help bring down long-term healthcare costs and ensure better access to care. But right now, Charlottesville and Albemarle have the highest premiums not just in the state of Virginia, but in the entire country. And premiums are projected to skyrocket another 10% higher in 2019. We must fix this, and single-payer is the long-term answer.
Until then, I support Medicaid Expansion.
Like 83% of Virginians, I see a need to expand Medicaid so we can provide low-income, disabled, and working class people across our Commonwealth access to critical health services. In Congress, I will fight for federal funding and the state Medicaid dollars Virginians are entitled to. An expansion of the program would allow 400,000 more Virginians access to insurance. Medicaid is not just a theoretical program, but an urgently needed safety net for many Virginians. When a program benefits so many citizens with something as valuable as our health, those who argue against safety and security-like our Congressman has repeatedly done- should be replaced with a Representative who listens to their constituents.
Ultimately, it’s simple: I believe that the federal government is responsible for ensuring health care coverage for all Americans.
Healthcare is a human right. It’s not okay for a family to lose everything they’ve saved just because someone is sick. We should be doing more to protect the at-risk, working families of our area. I support improving the Affordable Care Act by incorporating a public option program for Americans under 65 that will expand coverage and reduce costs. A public option program would exist alongside private plans, but would introduce competition and decrease premiums, protect citizens from losing access to care if the only insurer in their area leaves or raises prices, and would increase coverage across the state. With a public option, the federal government would be able to bargain more aggressively with care providers and pharmaceuticals to lower costs overall.
And here’s what we know: Tom Garrett has failed his constituents in advocating for their right to healthcare.
Our no show representative Tom Garrett didn’t even read the TrumpCare bill before supporting it. He believes that his constituents fighting for a program better than TrumpCare don’t matter, because “none of those people voted for me”. He voted to remove the individual mandate that is driving costs higher while destabilizing the market. He refuses to support healthcare for working families with pre-existing conditions. He has proven time and time again that he is not invested in the rights of his citizens.
At the same time, Trump and his supporting Republicans have made a political game out of insurance, because they can afford to. The most recent tax plan proposal shows that Trump lied when he said he’d protect Medicare protections. They are using our access to medical services as a political bargaining chip for their own gain, without any care for the consequences on citizens. Healthcare is not just a debate over upfront spending. Healthcare is an investment. When a family is not struggling on paying off medical bills, they have the freedom of opportunity and entrepreneurship that defines the American Dream. And a developed and wealthy nation like the U.S. should also invest in their citizens’ healthcare, as it’s proven to result in lower long term costs, a healthier nation, improved mental health, and even financial security for the nation.
Even more, this analysis doesn’t even include how TrumpCare is a blatant attack on rural communities. Areas like Fauquier County that are struggling with an opioid crisis rely on federal funding for their hospitals, while Medicaid is needed by nearly 40% of opioid addicts.
There’s no denying that the 5th district seat is a valuable vote to either support or deny the right to healthcare.
With Tom Garrett in office, the odds are against us. However, with your help, I will support our citizen’s and defend against the predatory changes of the Trump Administration. I will fight for legislation that provides affordable and accessible healthcare to the fifth district. And I will defend our underserved citizens from these attacks on rights. No longer will we allow for our rural communities to be downtrodden and denied our rights to security.
If you agree with this vision for a better, more sustainable healthcare system that actually protects and enhances the lives of Virginians and Americans, please consider making a donation: http://actblue.com/donate/sneathernhealthcare
For more information on my extensive policy platform, please visit my website: www.sneathernforcongress.com/#roadmap
Humbly,
Andrew Sneathern
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