Multiple Northwest Indiana residents advocated for Medicare for All at Tuesday’s Gary Common Council meeting before the body voted for a resolution supporting the movement.
The resolution passed in a unanimous 8-0 vote. Councilwoman Mary Brown, D-3rd, was absent, and Councilwoman Lori Latham, D-1st, attended the meeting virtually.
According to council documents, the resolution shows its support for the federal Medicare for All Act of 2025, which will provide national health insurance for everyone living in the U.S., “covering all necessary primary, preventative and medical care; including hospital, surgical, and outpatient services, prescription drugs, mental health and substance abuse treatment; emergency services; reproductive care; dental, hearing and vision care; and long-term care” from birth to death.
The Medicare for All Act will provide care without copays, deductibles and other out-of-pocket costs, according to council documents. The act, if passed, according to the Gary council, would also eliminate most prior authorization delays, reduce bureaucracy, protect the relationship between doctor and patient, and assure a free choice of providers and hospitals.
The council’s resolution “respectfully urges” Indiana’s Congressional delegation and the U.S. Congress to consider and advance the resolution.
U.S. Rep. Frank Mrvan, D-Highland, responded to the council’s vote in a Wednesday statement, saying he agrees with them and believes every American should have access to affordable and quality health care and protect seniors’ benefits.
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“This work is not finished,” Mrvan said in his statement. “I recently held a Healthcare Affordability Listening Session, and I heard far too many tragic and urgent care issues, such as families facing bankruptcy because someone gets sick, or the parents of a child battling cancer who have to turn to online fundraisers to afford treatment. We can, and we must, do better.”
The Democratic Party “has a proud history” of expanding health care access, creating Social Security, establishing Medicare and passing the Affordable Care Act, Mrvan said.
“At the end of the day, what matters most is not what a bill is called, but whether it delivers real results for the people of Northwest Indiana,” Mrvan said in his statement. “I will continue working with all of my colleagues who share the goal of lowering costs, expanding access, strengthening Medicare, and ensuring that every American can get the health care they need.”
Members of Northwest Indiana’s Medicare for All group supported the resolution during Tuesday’s meeting. The group is a grassroots organization that aims to educate region residents about the “financial and moral superiority of a government-run, single-payer, not-for-profit national health insurance system,” according to its Facebook page.
Paul Kaczocha, one of the group’s members, said Tuesday that he presented on the benefits of Medicare for All to the council about a year ago. During public comment, he said Medicare for All would bring “huge savings” to both the city and country.
“It would also give people who are struggling to pay their medical bills, struggling to pay for anything with medicine or medical care,” Kaczocha said. “The Medicare for All Act of 2025 would cover anything that a doctor said you needed, whether it was drugs or procedures, and it could cover you from cradle to grade.”
Once Gary passed the resolution, Kaczocha said it joined hundreds of cities nationwide, including Chicago, that have passed similar resolutions. The local action helps federal elected officials see the desire for Medicare for All, he added.
Joseph Conn, another member of Northwest Indiana’s Medicare for All group, spoke in favor of the council’s resolution during Tuesday’s meeting.
Conn told council members that their approval of the resolution can show Mrvan that residents want him to advocate for Medicare for All more at the national level.
“Go ahead and approve this resolution, endorsing Medicare for All at the national level,” Conn said. “I think your resolution will set the stage for a cascade of resolutions across the councils of Northwest Indiana to get to support the federal legislation that’s desperately needed now.”