The City Council of Annapolis passed the first resolution in Maryland State Capitol’s history in support of Federal Bill H.R. 1976 – The Medicare for All Act of 2021. The final vote included eight “Yea” votes, including Alderman Fred Paone of Ward 2 (the sole council Republican) and Mayor Gavin Buckley.  

H.R. 1976 is currently co-sponsored by 118 Democrats in the House, including Congressman John Sarbanes, who represents Annapolis constituents. Activists working under the umbrella of the Maryland Progressive Healthcare Coalition1 worked in partnership with the resolution’s lead sponsor, Alderman Rob Savidge.  

According to the resolution, “the Medicare for All Act of 2021 will guarantee that all residents of Annapolis will be fully covered for health care without copays, deductibles or other out-of-pocket costs, and would save millions in taxpayer dollars now spent on premiums that provide often inadequate health insurance coverage for government employees.”  

“This resolution sends a strong and urgent message to Maryland’s congressional delegation that the constituents of Annapolis deserve high-quality health care and that, despite important gains made since the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, Medicare For All is the vessel to achieve this.” said Kristy Fogle, founder of the Maryland Progressive Healthcare Coalition. 

“The U.S. Healthcare system is not broken but working as designed to deny health care, to impose health debt and bankruptcies, and to discriminate based on race, age, income, and disease. The system causes endless pain, trauma, suffering, and death but the ‘healthcare’ industry elite profited by billions from COVID-19. Only a universal health care system like improved Medicare for All can stop this corrupt, cruel, and inhuman system,” said Chrissy Holt, State Chair, Our Revolution Maryland.