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Sen. Bernie Sanders' Medicare for All Act of 2017
This page covering a proposed federal healthcare bill was last updated in 2017. If you would like to help our coverage grow, consider donating to Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.
The Medicare for All Act of 2017 was introduced by Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) on September 13, 2017. The bill would establish a national health insurance system and automatically enroll all residents. The government-run system would reimburse physicians and other healthcare providers for healthcare services. Enrollees would not be responsible for any cost-sharing and providers would not be allowed to bill enrollees for covered services. The system would be financed through a tax-funded government trust fund. Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children's Health Insurance Program would no longer be administered.
Text of plan
The text below reflects the language of the Medicare for All Act as it was introduced.
Summary of plan
Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) introduced the Medicare for All Act on September 13, 2017. The bill is similar to the Expanded and Improved Medicare for All Act introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.).[1][2]
Universal Medicare program
The Medicare for All Act would establish a national health insurance program that would reimburse doctors and healthcare providers for healthcare services.[1]
Every resident of the United States would be eligible for coverage under the program. The bill would instruct the secretary of health and human services to define the term resident and to determine whether other individuals would be eligible for healthcare services under the program "while inhibiting travel and immigration to the United States for the sole purpose of obtaining health care services."[1]
Under the bill, it would be illegal for private insurance companies to sell policies or employers to provide policies to employees that duplicate benefits offered by the program. However, they could offer supplemental policies to cover benefits not covered by the government system. The bill would end Medicaid, Medicare, the Children's Health Insurance Program, TRICARE (the military's health insurance program), and the federal employees health benefits program as they currently exist. Programs run by the Veterans Administration and the Indian Health Service would remain. The bill would also end the health insurance exchanges established by the Affordable Care Act.[1]
Enrollment
Residents would be automatically enrolled in the program at birth or at the time of immigration to the United States. Individuals already residing in the United States would be able to enroll on the date the program began. Enrollees would also receive a card indicating their enrollment in the program.[1]
In an op-ed Sanders wrote for The New York Times, he outlined the transition from the current system to the national insurance system:[3]
| “ | The transition to the Medicare for All program would take place over four years. In the first year, benefits to older people would be expanded to include dental care, vision coverage and hearing aids, and the eligibility age for Medicare would be lowered to 55. All children under the age of 18 would also be covered. In the second year, the eligibility age would be lowered to 45 and in the third year to 35. By the fourth year, every man, woman and child in the country would be covered by Medicare for All.[4] | ” |
| —Bernie Sanders (D-Vt.) | ||
Benefits offered
Under the Medicare for All Act, the following benefits would be eligible for reimbursement "if medically necessary or appropriate for the maintenance of health or for the diagnosis, treatment, or rehabilitation of a health condition":[1]
- Inpatient and outpatient hospital services
- Ambulatory services
- Primary care and preventive services
- Chronic disease management
- Prescription drugs and medical devices
- Mental health and substance abuse treatment
- Laboratory and diagnostic services
- Pediatrics
- Reproductive, maternity, and newborn services
- Oral, hearing, and vision services
- Short-term rehabilitative and habilitative services
The bill would waive Hyde Amendment restrictions preventing the use of federal funds for abortion services. States could provide additional benefits, although they would be responsible for 100 percent of the funding for them.[1]
Under the national insurance program, enrollees would not be responsible for any cost sharing, which includes payments such as deductibles, coinsurance, and copayments. The secretary of health and human services would be allowed to establish a cost-sharing schedule up to $200 annually for prescription drugs to encourage the use of generics. Physicians and healthcare providers would be prohibited from billing enrollees for any portion of covered services.[1]
Provider participation
Physicians and healthcare providers would not be required to participate in the program. Qualified providers of covered services would need to sign an agreement with the secretary of health and human services in order to participate. In order to be considered a qualified provider, a provider would need to meet certain quality and performance standards.[1]
Physicians and providers would be reimbursed in a similar manner as they currently are under Medicare.[1]
Program administration
Administration for the national health insurance program would fall under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The bill would direct the secretary to develop rules and regulations related to eligibility, enrollment, covered benefits, funding, provider participation standards, calculating reimbursement amounts, and determining medical necessity of benefits. The bill would also apply to the program fraud and abuse sanctions as they currently apply to Medicaid.[1]
The bill would direct the secretary to negotiate drug prices with pharmaceutical manufacturers, which Medicare is currently prohibited from doing.[1]
The bill would create a Universal Medicare Trust Fund, into which would be deposited taxes and funding that would otherwise be appropriated for Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE, the federal employees' health benefit program, and other public health insurance programs.[1]
Senators on Sanders' Medicare for All Act
Support
As of September 14, 2017, 16 senators expressed support for Sanders' Medicare for All Act. When Sanders introduced similar legislation in 2013, he had no co-sponsors.[5]
| Senators who expressed support for Sen. Bernie Sanders' Medicare for All single-payer healthcare plan | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | State | Date | Comment | Source |
| Kamala Harris (D) | California | August 30, 2017 | "I intend to co-sponsor the 'Medicare for All' bill because it’s just the right thing to do. It's not just about what is morally and ethically right, it also makes sense just from a fiscal standpoint." | The Hill |
| Richard Blumenthal (D) | Connecticut | September 12, 2017 | “Proud to announce my support for single-payer #MedicareForAll led by @SenSanders. Let's make healthcare a right, not a luxury.” | |
| Mazie Hirono (D) | Hawaii | September 12, 2017 | “I support universal, affordable, accessible and quality health care as a right, not a privilege. A single payer, Medicare for All system is a strong articulation of this principle, which is why I support this bill.” | |
| Brian Schatz (D) | Hawaii | September 11, 2017 | Schatz cosponsored the bill. | Mic.com |
| Ed Markey (D) | Massachusetts | September 12, 2017 | I'm a co-sponsor (announced last week). #Healthcare is a right, not a privilege! | |
| Elizabeth Warren (D) | Massachusetts | September 7, 2017 | "I believe it’s time to take a step back and ask: what is the best way to deliver high quality, low cost health care to all Americans? Everything should be on the table – and that’s why I’m co-sponsoring Bernie Sanders’ Medicare for All bill that will be introduced later this month." | Warren's campaign website |
| Al Franken (D) | Minnesota | September 12, 2017 | "Today I am announcing that I am cosponsoring Sen. Bernie Sanders’ 'Medicare for All' bill. Like Paul Wellstone, I’ve always believed that health care is a right for all Americans—not a privilege—and that every person in our country deserves access to the care they need. Establishing a single-payer system would be one way to achieve universal coverage, and Senator Sanders’ 'Medicare for All' bill lays down an important marker to help us reach that goal. This bill is aspirational, and I’m hopeful that it can serve as a starting point for where we need to go as a country. In the short term, however, I strongly believe we must pursue bipartisan policies that improve our current health care system for all Americans—and that’s exactly what we’re doing right now in the Senate Health Committee, on which both Senator Sanders and I sit." | |
| Cory Booker (D) | New Jersey | September 10, 2017 | “You should not be punished because you are working-class or poor and be denied health care. I think health care should be a right to all. This is something that’s got to happen. Obamacare was a first step in advancing this country, but I won’t rest until every American has a basic security that comes with having access to affordable health care." | NJTVOnline.org |
| Jeanne Shaheen (D) | New Hampshire | September 13, 2017 | “I support the Medicare For All Act because I believe that healthcare should be a fundamental right in this country,” said Senator Shaheen. “Too many Granite Staters continue to struggle to access quality affordable healthcare. I know that in a Republican-controlled Congress this legislation will not pass in the near term, but I believe this bill puts pressure on Congress to think big when it comes to providing the healthcare that all Americans need and deserve. The immediate task at hand for Congress is to stabilize the current healthcare marketplace and find bipartisan means to drive down costs. I am encouraged by recent bipartisan healthcare hearings and I’m optimistic that Congress will soon act to pass bipartisan legislation that makes necessary adjustments to the Affordable Care Act, including my proposal to continue providing cost-sharing support to working families.” | Shaheen's official website |
| Martin Heinrich (D) | New Mexico | September 12, 2017 | “America is the wealthiest country on Earth, yet despite our health care progress in recent years, we still spend far too much of our GDP on health care and some New Mexicans still find themselves without any coverage at all. It is time to recognize that health care is a human right and I believe that the best way to make that a reality in our nation is to build on what we all know works. Americans across the political spectrum recognize just how well the Medicare program delivers quality health care results at a reasonable cost. That is why I am joining in solidarity with others that share this vision by cosponsoring the Medicare For All Act. I am committed to bringing New Mexicans’ voices to this discussion with the goal of expanding coverage and providing more health care options that truly make a difference in the lives of everyday Americans." | Heinrich's official webiste |
| Tom Udall (D) | New Mexico | September 12, 2017 | “I believe that health care is a human right, and that all New Mexicans – and all Americans – should be able to see a doctor when they’re sick. A hardworking single mother in New Mexico deserves the same quality health care for herself and her family as a multimillionaire CEO. But while we’ve made strong steps in the right direction, our health insurance system is expensive, fragmented and hopelessly complicated for patients and employers alike. We must keep striving for a seamless system in which patient care, not profits, comes first; where employers can focus on production not paperwork; and where every American has the assurance that no matter what happens with their job or their health, they can still get quality care.” | Udall's official webiste |
| Kirsten Gillibrand (D) | New York | September 12, 2017 | "Health care is a right, not a privilege. This week, I'll proudly join Senator @BernieSanders to co-sponsor Medicare for All." | |
| Jeff Merkley (D) | Oregon | September 11, 2017 | "I’m co-sponsoring @SenSanders' #MedicareForAll bill. Health care should be a right for all, not a privilege just for the healthy & wealthy." | |
| Sheldon Whitehouse (D) | Rhode Island | September 11, 2017 | “We have come a long way under Obamacare, but I still hear from Rhode Island families and small business owners that health care costs are too high. I am committed to bringing down those costs while improving the quality of care for Rhode Islanders. It’s time we had a real conversation about creating a national health plan. That’s why I intend to cosponsor Senator Sanders’ bill. And I’ll continue to explore other ways we can improve health care and lower costs, including adding a publicly operated health insurance option to individual marketplaces, like the one I coauthored with Senators Brown and Franken." | Whitehouse's official website |
| Patrick Leahy (D) | Vermont | September 13, 2017 | "Proud to be an original cosponsor of #MedicareForAll. @SenSanders & I r making sure that #VT leads the way in healthcare for all Americans." | |
| Tammy Baldwin (D) | Wisconsin | September 12, 2017 | "Every American should have affordable health coverage, and there is more we can do to make that a reality. I always have believed that our goal must be universal health care coverage for everyone, and my support for Sen. Bernie Sanders’ Medicare for All legislation being introduced this week is a statement of that belief. With this reform, we would simplify a complicated system for families and reduce administrative costs for businesses. It would expand coverage to all the uninsured, make health care more affordable for working, middle-class families and reduce growing prescription drug costs for taxpayers. This reform will help us achieve universal coverage for everyone and is one of many paths we can take to expand coverage and lower health care costs." | Milwaukee Journal Sentinel |
Declined to endorse
As of September 14, 2017, six senators publicly declined to endorse Sanders' Medicare for All Act.
| Senators who declined to endorse Sen. Bernie Sanders' Medicare for All single-payer healthcare plan | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | State | Date | Comment | Source |
| Debbie Stabenow (D) | Michigan | September 13, 2017 | According to Politico, Stabenow "said in a brief interview that lawmakers have more work to do to keep health care costs in check 'before we would think about expanding that [Medicare] system to everyone.' Single-payer on a national level would have 'a lot of problems,' McCaskill added, although she came out in support of allowing individuals as young as 55 to buy into Medicare." | Politico |
| Claire McCaskill (D) | Missouri | August 2017 | In an August town hall, McCaskill said she opposed the bill because of cost, saying it would be “irresponsible of us to expand the program that is driving the debt the most in a way that is unsustainable financially for this country.” | The Kansas City Star |
| Jon Tester (D) | Montana | September 2017 | Tester came out in support of making changes to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) rather than changing the system entirely. He said, “I support fixing what we got because I think that’s more likely to happen.” | The Hill |
| Chuck Schumer (D) | New York | September 13, 2017 | According to Politico, Schumer "told reporters that he would be 'looking at all of' the party’s 'many good' proposals to expand health care access, but declined to back Sanders." | Politico |
| Sherrod Brown (D) | Ohio | September 13, 2017 | Politico reported that Brown would not endorse Sanders' bill. | Politico |
| Tim Kaine (D) | Virginia | September 2017 | According to Vox, Kaine "appeared to confirm in an interview that he wouldn’t be co-sponsoring the bill, citing his preference to give consumers options in choosing their health insurance. (Sanders’s single-payer bill would likely eliminate private insurance companies and replace them with a single, government-run insurer.) Kaine supports a government-run public option, and said he wants enrollees to be able to pick between the government plan and a private plan." | Vox |
Vote on single-payer healthcare
On July 27, 2017, the Senate voted against an amendment that proposed instituting a single-payer healthcare system. The bill failed 0-57. Forty-two Democrats and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), who caucuses with Democrats, voted “present.” All Republicans and four Democrats—Sens. Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.), Jon Tester (D-Mont.), Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.), and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.)—voted against the amendment. Sen. Angus King (I-Maine), who cacuses with Democrats, also voted against the amendment.[6]
Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.), who proposed the amendment, called it “'socialized medicine' that makes up the 'heart and soul' of the Democratic vision for health care," according to Politico.[7]
Sanders called the vote a political trick, saying, "I suspect that what Sen. Daines is doing is nothing more than an old political trick, trying to embarrass Democrats. I suspect it's just a political game. But I do hope, by the way, at some point within this debate, if we can -- if not, certainly in the near future -- to in fact be introducing a Medicare-for-all, single-payer program. It will be somewhat different than my friend John Conyers' bill in the House, but what it will do is say that in America, if you are rich or if you are poor, if you are a man, woman, and child, yes, you are entitled to health care as a human right and not a privilege."[8]
Opposition
The bill has no support from Republican senators. Republicans, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), chairman of the Republican Policy Committee, opposed Sanders' proposal because they argued that it would expand the reach of the federal government, raise taxes, and take away healthcare options.[9]
News feed
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Sanders Medicare for All. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 Bernie Sanders, U.S. Senator for Vermont, "Medicare for All Act of 2017," accessed September 13, 2017
- ↑ Congress.gov, "H.R.676 - Expanded & Improved Medicare For All Act," accessed September 13, 2017
- ↑ The New York Times, "Bernie Sanders: Why We Need Medicare for All," September 13, 2017
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Congress.gov, "S.1782 - American Health Security Act of 2013," accessed September 13, 2017
- ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Amendment (Daines Amdt. No. 340 As Modified )," July 27, 2017
- ↑ Politico, "Republicans try to bait Democrats on single-payer vote," July 27, 2017
- ↑ CNN, "Democrats reject GOP's effort to bait them into voting for single-payer health insurance," July 27, 2017
- ↑ Washington Examiner, "Bernie Sanders introduces single-payer bill, says GOP has 'no credibility' on healthcare," September 13, 2017
