Kelly Gooch - Thursday, May 2nd, 2019
House Democrats have revealed a Medicare
expansion plan that is more moderate than proposed "Medicare for All"
legislation, according to The Hill.
Eight things to know:
1. U.S. Reps. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn.,
and Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill., reintroduced the Medicare for America Act
on May 1.
2. Medicare for America expands Medicare and
Medicaid's covered benefits and services to include prescription drugs, dental,
vision, and hearing services, along with long-term supports and services for
seniors and disabled Americans, according to a news release from Ms. DeLauro's
office.
3. The proposed Medicare expansion plan is
different from Medicare for All in that it would not replace private coverage
with a single government-sponsored insurance option, according to The
Hill. Rather, Medicare for America would preserve employer-sponsored
insurance for those who like their plans. People with employer-sponsored
insurance would have the option to enroll in an expanded Medicare plan.
4. Uninsured Americans or those without
employer-sponsored insurance — including people now in the ACA's individual
market — would be auto-enrolled into Medicare for America. Those currently on
Medicare, Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Plan also would be
auto-enrolled.
5. People under Medicare for America would not
have out-of-pocket costs for preventive and chronic disease services, according
to the release from Ms. DeLauro's office. This includes pediatric, maternity
and emergency services.
6. Medicare for America would allow Medicare
to negotiate prescription drug prices.
7. Under Medicare for America plans, there
would be no deductibles, but there would be some income-based premiums,
according to The Hill. The legislation caps individual and
household premiums at 8 percent of monthly income. Individuals or families with
the lowest incomes would receive subsidies.
8. Ms. DeLauro and Ms. Schakowsky initially introduced the Medicare
for America Act in 2018. The original version reportedly had no
co-sponsors, but the reintroduced version has 16 total co-sponsors.
Read a full summary of the bill here.
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