Bernie Sanders aims to lower Medicare eligibility age as part of Democrats' recovery plan

[Donkees]

MAR 26 2021

Excerpt:

Sen. Bernie Sanders hopes to include a Medicare expansion in Democrats’ upcoming economic recovery plan.

The Vermont independent and Senate Budget Committee chair hopes to lower the eligibility age for coverage to either 60 or 55 from the current 65, a Sanders aide confirmed Friday. Sanders also wants to ensure Medicare covers dental visits and glasses, among other medical needs.

He aims to fund the coverage expansion by allowing Medicare to negotiate prices directly with drug companies.

As head of the Budget Committee, Sanders would play a major role in getting the next reconciliation bill through Congress.

The Senate can use reconciliation once per fiscal year, so it has two more opportunities to pass legislation through the process during the current Congress.

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/03/26/bernie-sanders-aims-to-lower-medicare-eligibility-age-in-recovery-bill.html

[keithsw]

1. Does anyone know

If/when this could come to fruition?

[Donkees]

8. More at this link:

The remarks from Sanders also jibe with growing support in the House for a “kitchen sink” approach to the next reconciliation bill, which can pass the Senate with a simple majority but has some limits to its use. House Democrats are discussing including drug pricing and climate legislation in their next big legislative package, which is expected to focus on infrastructure while hiking some taxes on corporations and high-income earners.

Earlier this year the House passed the Covid recovery bill and attached a measure raising the minimum wage to $15 hourly, but that was stripped out of the package after the Senate’s parliamentarian determined it would need 60 Senate votes. Sanders said that if he, Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Schumer can agree on including his Medicare and drug policy changes, they won't run into that procedural blockade.

“This is easier. This is pretty straightforward,” Sanders said. Senior Democrats say they are confident that issues like health care would pass muster under the Senate budget rules, given that those policies would have a major budgetary impact.

https://www.politico.com/news/2021/03/26/bernie-sanders-medicare-expansion-478166

[jimfields33]

17. Honestly I hope not

I know I’d have to go on it at whatever age they chose. I actually like the health care I have now. It won’t be voluntary as I am required to go on Medicare at 65. Companies love Medicare becoming primary at whatever age. Saves them big money.

[hibbing]

2. I think I'd actually be able to retire

I'll probably be retired or dead before this even gets a sniff at becoming reality. In fact I can see the age being raised.

Guess I'm just an old cynic.

Peace

[Freddie]

3. My 62 year old husband would retire tomorrow

If this happened. This would free up jobs for younger people.

[CrispyQ]

10. +1

My husband worked longer than he would have for medical benefits.

[Beastly Boy]

4. Great move! Now Bernie is on the same page with Biden.

From NPR, nearly a year ago:

Biden's Health Play In A COVID-19 Economy: Lower Medicare's Eligibility Age To 60

April 11, 20205:00 AM ET

Julie Rovner

Former Vice President Joe Biden at a press conference in Wilmington, Del., in mid-March. His bid this week to allow 60-year-olds to get Medicare "reflects the reality," he says, "that, even after the current crisis ends, older Americans are likely to find it difficult to secure jobs."
Bloomberg via Getty Images

In one of his first proposals since becoming the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, Joe Biden is wading back into the roiling waters of health policy.

In a nod to the effects of COVID-19 on the economy, and in what is clearly an overture to supporters of the "Medicare for All" plan pushed by Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, Biden wants to lower the age of eligibility for Medicare from 65 to 60.

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/11/11/933522346/biden-wants-to-lower-medicare-eligibility-age-to-60-but-hospitals-push-back

It's great to see them work with each other!

[George II]

12. Refreshing to see that he's embracing President Biden's proposal of last April.....

President-Elect Biden reiterated that a few days after the election in November 2020:

https://khn.org/news/biden-plan-to-lower-medicare-eligibility-age-to-60-faces-hostility-from-hospitals/

By Phil Galewitz NOVEMBER 11, 2020

Of his many plans to expand insurance coverage, President-elect Joe Biden’s simplest strategy is lowering the eligibility age for Medicare from 65 to 60.

In fact, had she been elected in 2016, or not had the Presidency stolen from her, we might have done even better - she proposed lowering the Medicare age to 55.

Slowly but surely others in the Democratic Caucus are agreeing with Secretary Clinton and President Biden.

[Beastly Boy]

20. It wasn't long ago that Bernie would scoff at such incrementalist approach.

Glad he has seen the light!

[sheshe2]

18. Thank you.

[betsuni]

21. Great to see Bernie on the same page as Biden!

It amazes me, though, that nobody seems to remember our Democratic nominee for president's 2016 plan was Medicare at 55.

[senseandsensibility]

5. That would help so many people.

Go, Bernie.

[George II]

11. Don't you mean "Go, Joe"?

https://khn.org/news/biden-plan-to-lower-medicare-eligibility-age-to-60-faces-hostility-from-hospitals/

By Phil Galewitz NOVEMBER 11, 2020

Of his many plans to expand insurance coverage, President-elect Joe Biden’s simplest strategy is lowering the eligibility age for Medicare from 65 to 60.

[senseandsensibility]

14. Go Bernie and Joe?

I'm not seeing it as a competition, but yes, good on Joe too.

[George II]

15. Biden has been WAY ahead of the curve on this one and other issues, too. And he's President, too.

[davsand]

6. I'm hoping to retire at 62. Bernie can make it possible.

I've been hoping for this exact change! I will have enough to live between SS and my pension, but the health care issue has been a huge sticking point. Being able to get into the ACA marketplace offered some potential for that retirement, but Medicare access would be huge for me!



Laura

[George II]

13. Joe Biden can make it possible, it was his proposal way back in April 2020, reiterated in November:

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=15272250

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=15272470

[Hortensis]

7. We're expanding Medicaid eligibility for healthcare, but I see

no current plan for lowering Medicare eligibility.

We'll see, but remember, after the tragedy of the Republican takeover in 2016, they gutted our treasury and ran us far deeper in debt than ever before. We have huge plans to spend to build wealth anyway, but we can't do everything we want at once. Right now a huge push will be to increase incomes, benefits, and labor rights and to create millions of good new jobs that provide access to health insurance.

We know who Biden and our congressional leaders really are now. If holes in healthcare can't be plugged some other way, such as the Medicaid expansions in 12 states, at least something will be on their to-do list.

[marie999]

9. They are not going to get Medicare for all

but they could lower the eligibility to 1 second old.

[SMC22307]

16. Yesssssssssss. This is huge. And if it happens, Dems need to drill it into voters' heads...

that WE did this for the American people, not Republicans.

[sheshe2]

19. According to the relentless ads on my TEE VEE...

Sanders also wants to ensure Medicare covers dental visits and glasses, among other medical needs.

Medicare offers that now, you just have to sign up for it.

[George II]

22. What's interesting about this latest development, with Sanders moving left toward Biden's position..

...is that it seems by expanding the existing Medicare program to Americans 60 years or older, he's also abandoning his keystone plan of "Medicare for All".

Anyone who has read the "Medicare for All" outline as previously proposed would see that it bears little, if any, resemblance to the existing Medicare program in which close to 50 million Americans are already enrolled.