U.S. Reps. Brendan Boyle (D-PA), Jimmy Gomez (D-CA), and Don Beyer (D-VA) introduced last week the Choose Medicare Act in an effort to achieve universal healthcare.
The legislation would give every individual and business the choice to enroll in Medicare. Companion legislation was introduced in the Senate earlier this year by U.S. Sens. Chris Murphy (D-CT) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR).
The Choose Medicare Act would create Medicare Part E – a new Medicare program that would be available to everyone not already eligible for Medicare and Medicaid. Fully self-sustaining and paid for by premiums, it would be offered on all state and federal exchanges and give people the ability to use Affordable Care Act subsidies to help pay for it.
Additionally, employers would be able to choose Medicare Part E as their employee healthcare plan instead of private insurance.
“This legislation gives all Americans more options in accessing healthcare,” Boyle said. “Plain and simple, no American should be without health coverage. The Choose Medicare Act gives all Americans more options to obtain affordable health care for themselves and for their families. It’s time to give every American the opportunity to choose Medicare, and that’s exactly what this bill does. I am proud to help lead this effort on the House side and hope this will move the ball forward on adopting universal coverage to ensure Americans have the care they need and deserve.”
The legislation would also improve affordability, the Congressmen said, by establishing an out-of-pocket maximum to traditional Medicare, directing Medicare to negotiate fair prices for prescription drugs, allow for competition in the marketplace, which would drive pricing on private insurance down and extend Medicare protections to consumers when it comes to balance billing or surprise billing.
“While the Affordable Care Act has made great strides in securing affordable, comprehensive, and quality health care for millions of Americans, there are still far too many people who have fell through the cracks, particularly those in communities of color and underserved regions of our country,” Gomez said. “The Choose Medicare Act will help ensure healthy outcomes for all Americans by creating new pathways to access our nation’s most popular and efficient health insurance system. I want to thank my colleagues Representatives Boyle and Beyer, as well as Senators Merkley and Murphy, for working with me on this important bill to bring us one step closer to achieving universal coverage.”