In dozens of cities across the nation this weekend, demonstrators marched to advocate for government-run health insurance under a “Medicare for All” plan. Unfortunately, it wasn’t exactly a success.
The marches were not huge: They ranged from dozens to hundreds of participants. While they got some attention on social media, they received sparse, almost nonexistent media coverage. And the rallies did not receive backing from many of the biggest champions of Medicare for All — including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and, most notably, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., who had put it on the map in 2015 and was such a fierce and effective fighter for the policy that it defined the 2020 Democratic presidential primary.
While Saturday’s March for Medicare for All was meant to revive public attention around the policy, the event ultimately revealed how far the policy has fallen from national prominence since the election. Despite the fact that Medicare for All has generally polled very well in recent years and surged in popularity during the early stages of the pandemic, its momentum has reversed at an astonishing pace.