To The Editor:
As a pediatrician, I am disappointed in the failures of our for-profit health care system, especially during the COVID pandemic. It’s time to elect politicians that will fight for universal health care and stand up to the insurance and pharmaceutical industries. Mondaire Jones is the only candidate in NY17 who supports Medicare For All, and that’s why I’ll be voting for him in the Democratic Primary.
Even though the Affordable Care Act was a step in the right direction, it left insurance companies in charge of our healthcare. There are still over one million New York residents who remain uninsured, a number that will likely grow during this pandemic. In addition, because healthcare is tied to employment, many Americans have been forced to switch providers or have lost health insurance altogether.
Several candidates in this Congressional race say they support a “public option,” but the reality is this fails to address the underlying flaws in our healthcare system. Currently, all children in New York are guaranteed insurance coverage. However, having insurance does not equate to having quality care. Because most sub-specialists in the area where I practice do not accept Medicaid plans (the “public option”), I often have no choice but to refer patients with Medicaid to doctors-in-training or to the ER for subspecialty care. Having a “public option” alongside a for-profit insurance-based model would only exacerbate this two-tiered system of medical care.
Americans need health care that covers ALL medically necessary services, including medications, vision, dental, mental health, and long-term care. Doctors should be the ones to determine if a test or treatment is medically necessary, not a bureaucrat hired by an insurer to keep costs low and profit margins high. I recently had a parent decline her child’s annual vision screening test, a test that is considered standard of care by the American Academy of Pediatrics, because it was not covered by her new insurance provider. That very same week, I spent nearly an hour on the phone trying to convince an administrator that a two year old with headaches really did need an MRI for a suspected brain tumor. We need health coverage models that are determined by evidence-based medicine, not profit margins.
I believe that healthcare is a fundamental right, not a privilege, and certainly not a commodity to be traded on the floor of the NY Stock Exchange. Mondaire Jones is the only candidate in the NY17 Congressional race that supports Medicare For All, and I look forward to casting my vote for him on June 23rd.
Sincerely,
Ivanya L. Alpert, MD
Mondaire Jones and his anti-Israel position will force the Jews in this district to vote Republican to have a reliable Israel vote. Vote against Mondaire Jones to make sure this seat does not turn Republican.
As a Jewish woman, I am proud to support Mondaire Jones. Mondaire strongly supports the American-Israeli alliance and a two state solution. He knows that peace and prosperity for Israelis and Palestinians can only come when Palestine respects the existence and safety of Israel and Israel respects the borders and human rights of Palestine. He has always stood in solidarity with Jews, and I trust him to continue to fight anti-semitism alongside me and my family. (see Mondaire’s op-ed: https://www.lohud.com/story/opinion/2020/01/07/after-monsey-african-american)
As far as this district turning Republican, there is zero chance of that happening. The closest this district can get to a red district is if Fake Democrat and former IDC member David Carlucci wins the primary. Mondaire is leading in the polls and is the candidate most likely to defeat Carlucci. If we want to keep this district True Blue, vote for Mondaire!
Mondaire Jones is totally supported by and funded by AOC and her “squad”. He worked for Obama who was not a friend of Israel. He also said that he did not support moving our embassy to Jerusalem in Israel, which is code for I only support a two state solution and nothing else. He is just giving lip service to the heavily Jewish Rockland and Westchester county population. Obama said the same thing and his idea for the two state solution was to go back to the pre 1967 boarders. He will do the same because he is an Obama clone. The only difference is that he is open about being a socialist and a is member of the Working Families Party.
This is absolute nonsense. I would urge people in the district to actually learn about the candidate and hear what he has to say instead of believing Republican fear-mongering propaganda. You can learn more here about Mondaire’s position on Israel: https://www.timesofisrael.com/mondaire-jones-nita-loweys-presumed-successor-says-hell-be-friend-to-israel/
Steven Kief, you are making a lot of assumptions. I’ve had several conversations with Mondaire about this and his support for Israel goes back to his days at Stanford. Regardless of the endorsement from AOC, he has his own thoughts on the issue. I am confident he is aware of the feelings of his constituents and he will be a strong ally for Israel. Here’s an article that will give you more info and if you have concerns, reach out to Mondaire and ask him directly. https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/democratic-candidate-mondaire-jones-says-hell-be-a-friend-to-israel-633519