'Abolish ICE' El-Sayed demands Medicare for all even as his own wife rejects it in her psychiatry practice

Democratic nominee for Michigan Senate Abdul El-Sayed has been a staunch advocate for Medicare for all. However, reporting done by the Washington Free Beacon reveals that his wife, psychiatrist Sarah Jukaku, states on her practice’s website that she will not accept any insurance, Medicare included.

The contrast comes as El-Sayed has made Medicare for all a core component of his Michigan campaign. His campaign website reads:

“I literally wrote the book on Medicare for All,” his website reads. “And I am the only candidate for the U.S. Senate in Michigan running to guarantee healthcare for every single American. No one should have to choose between getting the care they need or going into debt in the richest, most powerful country in the world. I will fight to expand Medicare to cover all necessary healthcare, including vision, dental, and hearing, and extend it to every single American from cradle to grave without premiums, copays, or deductibles.”

Jukaku, whose practice operates out of Ann Arbor, Michigan, received her medical degree from Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. She is clear about her refusal to accept insurance, with the FAQ section of her website featuring the question, “Do you accept my insurance?” followed by “No.”

El-Sayed has repeatedly alluded to his wife’s practice and the importance of her work over the years, including in a 2020 interview with the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

“My wife’s a psychiatrist, and we talk about the fact that a lot of folks don’t do psychiatry because it’s not as well recompensed as other practices simply because it’s undervalued in the system,” he said.

The contrast highlights a potential tension between El-Sayed’s advocacy for universal government-funded health coverage and his wife’s practice, which does not accept insurance. El-Sayed has argued that low reimbursement rates contribute to psychiatry being undervalued and discourage doctors from entering the field. His wife’s practice, however, requires patients to pay without using insurance. The discrepancy has potential to raise questions about how El-Sayed’s proposed “Medicare for All” system would address physician reimbursement and overall participation.