That will one of their goals in a Democratic led US Congress if the coming Midterms go their way….
House Democrats don’t just plan to roll back President Donald Trump’s health care cuts should they win in November. They are also discussing a major expansion of Medicare coverage and government-run insurance, according to four people familiar with the effort.
Democrats are talking about policies to make health care more affordable, including some measures widely popular throughout the party, like reversing the cuts to Medicaid passed in Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill and restoring enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies. These are considered measures that could be quickly introduced under a Democratic majority, according to the people familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to detail private conversations.
Yet the discussions also include other more novel and divisive policies like lowering the age for Medicare eligibility from 65 years; expanding Medicare coverage to dental, vision and hearing aid benefits; and adding other government-run insurance options, according to the people. These details have not been previously reported. The people cautioned that different options are still under active consideration as the party determines where it can build consensus.
While affordability continues to resonate as an undercurrent in the looming midterm elections, the Democrats’ embrace of new health care policies comes as notices of double-digit hikes are again expected to arrive for some Americans who receive insurance through the ACA insurance marketplaces. Looming changes to Medicaid are coming as most states will begin implementing work requirements to the program next year….
…
Jeffries at a news conference on Monday said that reversing the Medicaid cuts and restoring the ACA subsidies are areas where there is “uniform Democratic support.”
Even if Democrats managed to gain control of both chambers and pass some of their health care policies through Congress, it’s virtually certain Trump would veto their plans, particularly efforts to roll back his sweeping tax law.
Still, these policies could set the stage for the 2028 presidential election as the question of how to boost health insurance for all Americans is expected to be a pivotal theme during the Democratic primaries.
Last year, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated that a total of 7.5 million people would lose health care coverage in the decade through 2034 as a result of the Medicaid changes in the One Big Beautiful Bill, and roughly an additional 4 million people were expected to lose coverage due to the lapse of the enhanced ACA subsidies at the end of last year….
…
House Democrats are framing the potential policies around what the newly empowered party would do in the first days of a new Congress, followed by the first 100 days and ultimately the first year, according to one person familiar with the matter.
In the Senate, Democrats across the ideological spectrum are also working on hammering out policies aimed at improving health coverage and lowering drug prices.…
More….
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.