Gustavo Rivera: “I Want to Destroy Health Insurance Companies’ Business Model”
New York State Senator Gustavo Rivera talks to Jacobin about his proposed state-level single-payer health care bill, why covering undocumented immigrants is crucial, and the state of progressive politics in New York.
State Senator Gustavo Rivera, speaking at the New York State Capitol for a press conference to push back against Governor Kathy Hochul’s proposed plans to increase criminalization to address the overdose crisis, and demand lawmakers implement harm reduction strategies, January 31, 2023. (Erik McGregor / LightRocket via Getty Images)
Numerous polls show widespread support for single-payer health care. But since the end of Bernie Sanders’s second presidential campaign, the issue has waned from political discourse.
State Senator Gustavo Rivera wants to change that. Rivera, who has represented the 33rd Senate District in the Bronx since 2010, aims to pass the New York Health Act, which would guarantee health care to all New Yorkers. Jacobin spoke with Rivera about why he’s pushing the bill, what the barriers are to its passage, and the role of socialists in New York State progressive politics.
Jules Grifferty
What would the New York Health Act accomplish?
Gustavo Rivera
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