By Riley McCoy
For The Register-Herald
Beckley — Community organizers gathered outside U.S. Rep. Carol Miller’s district office Thursday as part of a nationwide day-of-action in support of Medicare for All.
The Beckley demonstration coincided with other July 30 events at congressional offices in cities from Washington, California, Arizona, Illinois and Indiana. Organizers marked Medicare’s 61st anniversary by reading a national call-to-action to try and press Miller and other federal lawmakers to support expanded and improved Medicare for All legislation.
More than 200 labor unions, health care organizations, advocacy groups and other organizations signed the letter, according to the West Virginia Progressive Democrats of America Chapter Leader Carol Workman.
“We got a good reception inside with Carol Miller’s staff,” said Vince George, a candidate for West Virginia’s 1st Congressional District.
The letter asks House members to co-sponsor H.R. 3069, introduced in April 2025 by Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Washington. A separate Senate measure, S. 1506, was introduced by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont.
Both measures remain in committee.
Participants took turns reading the letter aloud near the parking lot before a smaller delegation entered Miller’s office to deliver it to her staff.
Miller was not present during the delivery.
The Beckley event was organized by local representatives of Progressive Democrats of America West Virginia, Physicians for a National Health Program and National Nurses United.
For Workman, the push for universal coverage is rooted in her own experience with illness and medical debt.
“I had surgery without insurance, and I spent 10 years paying that surgery off,” Workman said. “That’s when I realized that I needed to get active and do something about it.”
Workman said she has advocated for Medicare for All for several years. She organized the West Virginia chapter of Progressive Democrats of America in March 2025 after previously participating in health care advocacy through a local women’s march organization.
Under H.R. 3069, the federal government would establish a national health insurance program administered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. All U.S. residents would be automatically enrolled, and the program would cover hospital care, prescription drugs, mental health and substance-use treatment, dental and vision services, reproductive care and long-term care.
The proposal would generally eliminate premiums, deductibles and other patient cost-sharing.
Christina Baisden, a candidate for West Virginia House District 44, said access and affordability remain especially important for low-income and fixed-income residents.
“Health care is important to all people, and we need access, and we need affordability,” Baisden said. “It would allow people to access health care without having to choose between food and medication or food and some sort of treatment that they need.”
A November 2025 Pew Research Center survey found that 66% of Americans believed the federal government has a responsibility to ensure health coverage for everyone. However, only 35% favored accomplishing that through a single national government insurance program.
Meanwhile, 31% preferred retaining a combination of public programs and private insurance.
The division reflects some of the major criticisms surrounding Medicare for All. Opponents question the taxes required to finance such a system, the elimination or reduction of most private insurance and the disruption involved in moving millions of people from employer-sponsored plans into a federal program.
The proposals’ supporters contend that those concerns can be addressed through negotiated payment rates, administrative savings and a transition that replaces premiums and deductibles with public financing.
George described the financial pressures families face as “an ongoing bowling ball smashing people” and that “this is actively damaging lives, and there’s no good reason for it.”
Read more from The Register-Herald, here.
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