{"id":28499,"date":"2023-09-15T12:34:18","date_gmt":"2023-09-15T19:34:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/?p=28499"},"modified":"2023-09-15T12:34:19","modified_gmt":"2023-09-15T19:34:19","slug":"sanders-announces-historic-bipartisan-bill-to-confront-us-primary-care-crisis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/2023\/09\/15\/sanders-announces-historic-bipartisan-bill-to-confront-us-primary-care-crisis\/","title":{"rendered":"Sanders Announces ‘Historic’ Bipartisan Bill to Confront US Primary Care Crisis"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Sen.<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) speaks at a press conference on raising the federal minimum wage outside the U.S. Capitol Building on May 4, 2023 in Washington, D.C. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Photo: Anna Moneymaker\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“It is unacceptable that millions of Americans throughout our country do not have access to affordable, high-quality primary care and are unable to get the healthcare they need when they need it.”<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

JAKE JOHNSON<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sep 14, 2023 (CommonDreams.org)<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

After weeks of negotiations, Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders<\/a> of Vermont and Republican Sen. Roger Marshall of Kansas announced Thursday that they have reached an agreement on a bill to confront the United States’ primary care crisis, which has left millions of people across the nation without access to critical healthcare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sanders, the chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, said in a statement that the new legislation marks a “historic” effort “to expand primary care and to reduce the massive shortage of nurses and primary care doctors in America.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to a report<\/a> released earlier this year by the National Association of Community Health Centers, more than 100 million people in the U.S. face difficulty accessing primary care, which is often the initial point of contact for patients seeking care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The U.S. underinvests in primary care<\/a> compared to other wealthy nations, despite spending more<\/a> on healthcare overall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“It is unacceptable that millions of Americans throughout our country do not have access to affordable, high-quality primary care and are unable to get the healthcare they need when they need it,” the Vermont senator said. “Every major medical organization understands that our investment in primary care is woefully inadequate. They understand that focusing on disease prevention and providing more Americans with a medical home instead of relying on expensive emergency rooms for primary care will not only save lives and human suffering, it will save money.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is unacceptable that millions of Americans do not have access to affordable, high-quality primary care. I am LIVE on the Senate Floor with Senator @RogerMarshallMD<\/a> as we announce a bipartisan bill to address this crisis. https:\/\/t.co\/S5kqHVTKrN<\/a><\/p>— Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) September 14, 2023<\/a><\/blockquote>