Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Don Beyer (D-VA)
Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley, Connecticut’s U.S. Senator Christopher Murphy, and U.S. Representatives Jimmy Gomez (D-CA-34) and Donald Beyer (D-VA-08) today reintroduced the Choose Medicare Act. This revolutionary proposal opens Medicare to all Americans with a new ‘Part E’ and builds on the system we have today by allowing Medicare to compete with private health insurance.
“In the richest country in the world, no person should have to worry about whether they’ll be able to afford care if they become sick or get into an accident. At a time when proposed cuts from Republicans threaten the health and financial security of millions, it’s more important than ever to expand access to high-quality, affordable health care,” said Merkley. “The Choose Medicare Act does just that by allowing every American to buy into Medicare, protecting and expanding this effective, popular system, and putting consumers and businesses in the driver’s seat on the road to universal health care.”
“Instead of shielding big insurance companies from competition, we should give Americans the option to choose Medicare’s high-quality, low-cost coverage if it’s right for them and their families,” said Murphy. “While Republicans spike the cost of living and cut health care for millions of Americans, we’ll keep fighting to expand access and affordability.”
“I got pneumonia when I was seven years old, and my family almost went bankrupt because we were uninsured. Today too many families are still one medical emergency away from financial crisis,” said Gomez. “Our bicameral legislation lets every American opt into Medicare — which is affordable, effective, and trusted — and we’re going to keep fighting until everyone has access to the care they need.”
“Our bill would give all Americans access to Medicare, one of the most popular and successful health care delivery programs in history,” said Beyer. “Allowing employers and the general public the option to choose Medicare would fill many of the gaps in our health care system, get more people covered, and make the nation healthier. Every American should be able to access affordable, quality health care, and this bill represents the kind of bold action required to make that a reality for all.”
The Choose Medicare Act is co-sponsored by Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Jack Reed (D-RI), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Tina Smith (D-MN), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), and Dick Durbin (D-IL), and Representatives Jared Huffman (D-CA-02), LaMonica McIver (D-NJ-10), and Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC-AL). The bill is supported by Families USA, MoveOn, American Federation of Teachers, the Center for Medicare Advocacy, and the Center for Health and Democracy.
“Now, more than ever, millions of people are grappling with skyrocketing health care costs and rising concerns that they won’t be able to access affordable health insurance and the care they need to keep their families healthy. Lawmakers should be doing all they can to ensure people across the country have more options for affordable health care, not less. The Choose Medicare Act is an important effort that creates a new pathway to make Medicare accessible to more consumers and employers, and makes important improvements to the current program like coverage of all reproductive health and essential health benefits,” said Jane Sheehan, Deputy Senior Director of Government Relations for Families USA.
“The Choose Medicare Act would improve the existing Medicare program by creating a critically needed out-of-pocket cap in traditional Medicare,” said David Lipschutz, Co-Director of the Center for Medicare Advocacy. “The bill would also enable people currently not yet eligible for Medicare to enjoy the benefits of traditional Medicare, without the restrictions of limited provider networks found in many Medicare Advantage plans.”
“Big Insurance’s monopoly control over health care in this country has led to higher health care costs and a growing medical debt crisis, all while making health care unaffordable and inaccessible to a majority of Americans. It is a system designed to put profits over patients. This bill is a vital step towards breaking Big Insurance’s strangle hold over health care in this country and will open up the most successful health care program in our country’s history, Medicare, to even more people. I applaud Senator Merkley for introducing it,” said Wendell Potter, President, Center for Health and Democracy.
Medicare ‘Part E’ aims to be self-sustaining and fully paid for by premiums. Plans would be offered on all state and federal exchanges, giving people the ability to use existing Affordable Care Act subsidies to help cover their premiums. Additionally, employers could choose to select Medicare ‘Part E’ rather than private insurance to provide affordable and reliable health care to their employees.
The Choose Medicare Act:
Increases Access, Competition, and Choice
- Opens Medicare to employers of all sizes and allows them to purchase high-quality, affordable health care for their employees without requiring replacement of employment-based health insurance.
- Addresses the discrepancy between consumer protections in the individual and group markets by extending the ACA’s rating requirements to all markets, to end discrimination based on pre-existing conditions once and for all.
Provides Comprehensive Coverage
- Includes the ACA’s 10 essential health benefits and all items and services covered by Medicare.
- Provides high-quality, gold-level coverage and cost-sharing.
- Ensures coverage for a wide range of reproductive services, including abortion.
Improves Affordability
- Establishes an out-of-pocket maximum in traditional Medicare.
- Increases the generosity of premium tax credits and extends eligibility to all earners.
- Directs Medicare to negotiate fair prices for prescription drugs by incorporating in the program the drug price negotiation section of the Inflation Reduction Act.
- Drives down private insurance premiums through competition from Medicare by allowing the HHS Secretary to block excessive private insurance rates.
- Extends traditional Medicare protections on balance billing or surprise bills to ‘Part E’ plans.
Full text of the Choose Medicare Act can be found by clicking here.
MIL OSI USA News –