West Lafayette City Council to Vote on Resolution to Support Medicare For All and the Healthcare Emergency Guarantee Act

On Monday, February 1, 2021, the West Lafayette City Council will vote on a resolution urging congress to pass the Medicare for All Act of 2019 (H.R. 1384, S. 1129) and the Health Care Emergency Guarantee Act of 2020 (H.R. 6906). The resolution was written and campaigned for by Greater Lafayette Democratic Socialists of America (GLDSA). Five members of the City Council have sponsored it. A copy of the resolution can be found here. 

The Health Care Emergency Guarantee Act of 2020 would empower Medicare to cover all healthcare costs for the uninsured and all out-of-pocket expenses for those with insurance for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Medicare for All Act would establish a single-payer universal healthcare system, with no cost-sharing. 

Health Crisis in Tippecanoe County

The resolution addresses the urgent healthcare needs of West Lafayette and Tippecanoe County. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, it is estimated that more than 20,000 residents of Tippecanoe County did not have any health insurance. Approximately 2,000 Tippecanoe County residents have lost their jobs due to the pandemic, increasing the number of residents who are uninsured. Many residents of West Lafayette, who do have health insurance, are underinsured resulting in medical expenses that exceed their ability to pay. While insurance companies are making record breaking profits, many people are not getting the healthcare they need which increases the consequences and spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Community Support

Sponsors of the resolution include council members David Sanders, James Blanco, Kathy Parker, Gerald Thomas, and Larry Leverenz, as well as the Greater Lafayette chapter of the American Association of University Professors, the Greater Lafayette chapter of the Younger Women’s Task Force, Greater Lafayette Indivisible, and Greater Lafayette Immigrant Allies. Similar resolutions citing local healthcare needs in support of Medicare for All have been passed in other U.S. cities including South Bend and Bloomington, Indiana. 

GLDSA began campaigning for the resolution in October 2020 with a kickoff event in Columbian Park. In December, they held a virtual town hall with speakers from National Nurses United, Medicare for All Indiana, and Central Indiana DSA, and city council member James Blanco. At the same time, GLDSA left flyers at homes in West Lafayette and canvassed outside the Lafayette Farmers Market and at the CityBus Center. More than 650 Tippecanoe County residents have signed GLDSA’s petition at http://m4a.GLDSA.org. 

More Information

All materials in this document may be published with attribution to Greater Lafayette Democratic Socialists of America. 

Greater Lafayette Democratic Socialists of America (GLDSA) is the local chapter of Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) for the Greater Lafayette Indiana area. 

Democratic socialists believe that both the economy and society should be run democratically— to meet public needs, not to make profits for a few.