LANSING, Mich. (WZMQ) – Michigan U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed joined Senator Bernie Sanders on Wednesday for a roundtable focused on what they described as a deeply “broken” American health care system. As El-Sayed prepares for the campaign season, he’s solidifying his platform with universal healthcare at the center.
Sanders said the country continues to spend more on health care than any other developed nation, while millions remain uninsured or underinsured. He argued that a single-payer system would simplify billing, cut administrative waste, and ensure that every American has access to necessary treatment.
El-Sayed echoed those concerns, saying patients are often treated like “products” in a system driven by corporate profit rather than public health. “Am I the customer or am I the acorn squash?” he said. “I’m the reason a financial transaction happened between two other entities, and that right there is a big reason why our system is so broken.”
Both leaders said “Medicare for All” would lower drug prices, reduce medical debt, and protect families from the financial strain of illness. They also pointed to hospital consolidation and insurance industry influence as major contributors to the high cost of care in Michigan and across the country.
El-Sayed, a physician and former Detroit health director, said he plans to make health reform a central issue in his campaign as Michigan heads toward the 2026 election. Sanders called the state a key battleground in the national debate over health care and urged voters to demand “a system that puts patients first.”
