NATIONAL GRASSROOTS MOVEMENT DEMANDS ACTION ON SKYROCKETING COST OF U.S. HEALTHCARE

'One Nation, Overcharged' kicks off coast-to-coast campaign calling for affordable healthcare that prioritizes people over profits

People from all walks of life—artists, influencers, celebrities, activists, community organizers, clergy, and others—to join in national call for affordable care

PRINCETON, N.J., May 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- As rising U.S. healthcare costs reach crisis levels for millions of working families, a national grassroots movement called One Nation, Overcharged will kick off this summer. The people-powered movement is driven by advocates and organizers and fueled by a multi-million dollar push in organizing, advertising, and other activations across the country, plus considerable in-kind support from a roster of top health advocacy and civil rights groups. The effort will surface people in America's longstanding frustrations with unaffordable, inequitable healthcare in national and local conversations that demand a healthcare system that puts people over profits.

Supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, led by 12 national partners, and joined by more than 130 advocacy groups spanning healthcare, civil rights, faith, and civic communities, One Nation, Overcharged will inspire people to start conversations and participate in community organizing and cultural activities about the urgent need to address America's healthcare affordability crisis.

Celebrities, including popular actors and community activists Noah Wyle, Yvette Nicole Brown, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Steven Weber, and board-certified physician Dr. Mike Varshavski, one of the world's most followed doctors online, will lend their voices and platforms to speak out. Civic leaders, community organizers, content creators, artists, clergy, and others will ensure a visible presence in places where people live, work, play, and pray.

"When people in America are forced to choose between buying groceries or seeing their doctor, it's a problem that requires action," said Avenel Joseph, PhD, vice president for policy at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. "The time to demand action is now. All of us who are frustrated by the status quo must make our voices heard. It's an obligation we share to elevate the crisis of high-cost healthcare in America today."

One Nation, Overcharged will amplify the voices and experiences of people affected by high healthcare costs through storytelling, research, and community-driven events across the country. From local gatherings and creative installations to digital campaigns and new partnerships, the movement will engage people to increase momentum for action. Together, they'll demand affordable care that puts people's health first and works for everyone in America, regardless of race, income, or where they live.

"The cost of healthcare in this country is not just a financial issue, it's a social justice issue," said Derrick Johnson, president and CEO of the NAACP, one of the campaign partners. "In the wealthiest nation in the world, no one should be forced to choose between their health and their livelihood. But for far too many people, particularly communities of color, that's the reality they live in. Skyrocketing costs and unequal access to healthcare are driving preventable outcomes in maternal health, cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. This is what happens when profit is prioritized over people...lives are lost. That's both unacceptable and unsustainable."

One Nation, Overcharged partners include organizations that bring different constituencies and valuable perspectives to healthcare affordability and civil rights conversations. They include the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum, Black Voters Matter, Black Women's Health Imperative, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Community Catalyst, Families USA, NAACP, National Immigration Law Center, National Urban League, New Disabled South, and UnidosUS.

"Americans of every race, ethnicity, economic status, community, and political party agree that our healthcare system charges too much and doesn't deliver the health outcomes or economic security we should expect," said Anthony Wright, executive director of Families USA, the longtime healthcare consumer advocacy organization. "The people are ahead of the politicians on the problem of healthcare prices, and this campaign will engage Americans to stand up and speak out for solutions."

The One Nation, Overcharged website—www.OneNationOvercharged.org—is the hub for people to sign up to join the movement, speak up by submitting a user-generated video, and show up by joining or planning an event in their community. The movement will leverage a multi-channel advertising campaign to amplify messages and share user-generated videos, research, and events planned throughout the summer.

About One Nation, Overcharged
One Nation, Overcharged is a nationwide, people-powered movement to demand a healthcare system that puts our health over corporate profits and works for everyone. Advocates and organizers across healthcare advocacy, civil rights, and racial equity are coming together to ignite a new wave of activists who are stepping into the fight and speaking up to demand a healthcare system that puts people over profits. We're fighting for a healthcare system that works for everyone—no matter race, income, or where we live.

About The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF)
RWJF is a leading national philanthropy dedicated to taking bold leaps to transform health in our lifetime. To get there, we must work to dismantle structural racism and other barriers to health. Through funding, convening, advocacy, and evidence-building, we work side-by-side with communities, practitioners, and institutions to achieve health equity faster and pave the way, together, to a future where health is no longer a privilege, but a right.

CONTACT: Mike VanDenHeuvel, [email protected], 715-252-8780

ADDENDUM: STATEMENTS FROM SELECT PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS

"Healthcare should never come at the expense of food, housing, or other basic needs. Everyone deserves access to affordable, dependable health coverage."

     - Juliet K. Choi, President & CEO, Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum

"Healthcare should never be a luxury reserved for the wealthy. Across this country, working families, especially Black communities and other communities of color, are struggling under the weight of skyrocketing healthcare costs while corporations continue putting profits over people. No one should have to choose between paying their bills and getting the care they need. One Nation, Overcharged is about turning frustration into action and demanding a healthcare system that treats healthcare as a human right, not a privilege, because our people are sick and tired of being sick and tired."

     - Cliff Albright, Co-Founder, Black Voters Matter

"Health justice is economic justice. Building a system that puts people first isn't idealism—it's the foundation every family and community deserves to thrive."

     - Linda Goler Blount, MPH, President and CEO, Community Catalyst

"Together we must fight for a system that puts people before profits, where no one is denied care because of how much money they make or where they were born."

     - Matthew Lopas, Director of State Advocacy & Technical Assistance, National Immigration Law Center

"Communities need to be able to afford the care they are accessing without having to sacrifice putting food on the table."

     - Dr. Lydia Isaac, Vice President for Health Equity and Policy, National Urban League

"Disabled people have always known that healthcare is inaccessible and unaffordable. New Disabled South is proud to be part of the movement saying, 'Enough!'"

     - Kehsi Iman Wilson, Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer, New Disabled South

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SOURCE Robert Wood Johnson Foundation