John Conyers, Expanded & Improved Medicare For All Act - has 117 sponsors - No need for Sanders plan

[factfinder_77]

https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/676/
https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/676/text
https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/8/28/16114436/john-conyers-single-payer-insurance

Introduced 01/24/2017, it has 117 sponsors in Congress.

EC. 101. ELIGIBILITY AND REGISTRATION.
(a) In General.—All individuals residing in the United States (including any territory of the United States) are covered under the Medicare For All Program entitling them to a universal, best quality standard of care. Each such individual shall receive a card with a unique number in the mail. An individual’s Social Security number shall not be used for purposes of registration under this section.

(b) Registration.—Individuals and families shall receive a Medicare For All Program Card in the mail, after filling out a Medicare For All Program application form at a health care provider. Such application form shall be no more than 2 pages long.

(c) Presumption.—Individuals who present themselves for covered services from a participating provider shall be presumed to be eligible for benefits under this Act, but shall complete an application for benefits in order to receive a Medicare For All Program Card and have payment made for such benefits.

(d) Residency Criteria.—The Secretary shall promulgate a rule that provides criteria for determining residency for eligibility purposes under the Medicare For All Program.

(e) Coverage For Visitors.—The Secretary shall promulgate a rule regarding visitors from other countries who seek premeditated non-emergency surgical procedures. Such a rule should facilitate the establishment of country-to-country reimbursement arrangements or self pay arrangements between the visitor and the provider of care.


SEC. 102. BENEFITS AND PORTABILITY.
(a) In General.—The health care benefits under this Act cover all medically necessary services, including at least the following:

(1) Primary care and prevention.

(2) Approved dietary and nutritional therapies.

(3) Inpatient care.

(4) Outpatient care.

(5) Emergency care.

(6) Prescription drugs.

(7) Durable medical equipment.

(8) Long-term care.

(9) Palliative care.

(10) Mental health services.

(11) The full scope of dental services, services, including periodontics, oral surgery, and endodontics, but not including cosmetic dentistry.

(12) Substance abuse treatment services.

(13) Chiropractic services, not including electrical stimulation.

(14) Basic vision care and vision correction (other than laser vision correction for cosmetic purposes).

(15) Hearing services, including coverage of hearing aids.

(16) Podiatric care.

(b) Portability.—Such benefits are available through any licensed health care clinician anywhere in the United States that is legally qualified to provide the benefits.

(c) No Cost-Sharing.—No deductibles, copayments, coinsurance, or other cost-sharing shall be imposed with respect to covered benefits.


SEC. 103. QUALIFICATION OF PARTICIPATING PROVIDERS.
(a) Requirement To Be Public Or Non-Profit.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—No institution may be a participating provider unless it is a public or not-for-profit institution. Private physicians, private clinics, and private health care providers shall continue to operate as private entities, but are prohibited from being investor owned.

(2) CONVERSION OF INVESTOR-OWNED PROVIDERS.—For-profit providers of care opting to participate shall be required to convert to not-for-profit status.

(3) PRIVATE DELIVERY OF CARE REQUIREMENT.—For-profit providers of care that convert to non-profit status shall remain privately owned and operated entities.

(4) COMPENSATION FOR CONVERSION.—The owners of such for-profit providers shall be compensated for reasonable financial losses incurred as a result of the conversion from for-profit to non-profit status.

(5) FUNDING.—There are authorized to be appropriated from the Treasury such sums as are necessary to compensate investor-owned providers as provided for under paragraph (3).

(6) REQUIREMENTS.—The payments to owners of converting for-profit providers shall occur during a 15-year period, through the sale of U.S. Treasury Bonds. Payment for conversions under paragraph (3) shall not be made for loss of business profits.

(7) MECHANISM FOR CONVERSION PROCESS.—The Secretary shall promulgate a rule to provide a mechanism to further the timely, efficient, and feasible conversion of for-profit providers of care.

(b) Quality Standards.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—Health care delivery facilities must meet State quality and licensing guidelines as a condition of participation under such program, including guidelines regarding safe staffing and quality of care.

(2) LICENSURE REQUIREMENTS.—Participating clinicians must be licensed in their State of practice and meet the quality standards for their area of care. No clinician whose license is under suspension or who is under disciplinary action in any State may be a participating provider.

(c) Participation Of Health Maintenance Organizations.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—Non-profit health maintenance organizations that deliver care in their own facilities and employ clinicians on a salaried basis may participate in the program and receive global budgets or capitation payments as specified in section 202.

(2) EXCLUSION OF CERTAIN HEALTH MAINTENANCE ORGANIZATIONS.—Other health maintenance organizations which principally contract to pay for services delivered by non-employees shall be classified as insurance plans. Such organizations shall not be participating providers, and are subject to the regulations promulgated by reason of section 104(a) (relating to prohibition against duplicating coverage).

(d) Freedom Of Choice.—Patients shall have free choice of participating physicians and other clinicians, hospitals, and inpatient care facilities.


SEC. 104. PROHIBITION AGAINST DUPLICATING COVERAGE.
(a) In General.—It is unlawful for a private health insurer to sell health insurance coverage that duplicates the benefits provided under this Act.

(b) Construction.—Nothing in this Act shall be construed as prohibiting the sale of health insurance coverage for any additional benefits not covered by this Act, such as for cosmetic surgery or other services and items that are not medically necessary.

[lindysalsagal]

1. At this point 45 is so lost in the woods, and so desperate for any kind of win

I'm shocked that I'm thinking this might actually happen: 45 could shame the gop into adopting a dem program.

Wierd. World.

[phleshdef]

2. Conyers and Sanders have been working as PARTNERS for decades toward single payer.

[QC]

3. John Conyers is in the House of Representatives. He cannot introduce

a bill into the Senate. (The House and Senate are two separate bodies.) Only a senator can introduce a bill into the Senate. Bernie Sanders is a Senator. He can introduce bills in the Senate.

The normal procedure is to pass a bill in each chamber and then reconcile them in what is known as a "conference committee." Then both houses vote on the conference committee's bill.

More info here:

[HarmonyRockets]

6. Thank you

Thanks for posting this. Some people need it.

[factfinder_77]

7. Sentate has already voted on single-payer health care - no lawmakers from either party voted for it

The Senate voted down a single-payer health care amendment introduced by Republican Senator Steve Daines on Thursday, in a political gambit aimed at putting Senate Democrats on the record on a divisive issue. The amendment failed to pass after no lawmakers from either party voted for it. Fifty-seven Senators voted against the amendment, while 43 voted simply “present.” Four Democrats voted against the amendment: Senators Joe Donnelly of Indiana, Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota, Joe Manchin of West Virginia, and Jon Tester of Montana.

Daines’s amendment was far from a true test of Democratic support for single payer, however. Senator Bernie Sanders, the most popular progressive politician in the United States who supports a single-payer health-care system, denounced the amendment as a “political trick” designed “to embarrass Democrats,” ahead of the vote. His office had previously announced that even he would not be voting for it, giving Senate Democrats cover to reject the amendment as a political ploy.

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/07/congress-healthcare-single-payer-debate/535143/

[QC]

14. Yes, that was a stunt bill that people had the good sense not to vote for. n/t

[TubbersUK]

10. Thanks for the explanation

I've been following the developments re single payer with interest.

The OP led me to doubt what I knew re the legislative process.

[QC]

16. We have a strange system in this country, and that's only part of it.

The Electoral College is the one that really makes no sense whatsoever.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

24. The cartoon has been updated

[QC]

28. Excellent!

[beam me up scottie]

18. Thanks for that!

We really need to start making civics classes mandatory again.

Love Schoolhouse Rock!

[Brother Buzz]

4. list of cosponsors

* = Original cosponsor

I'm happy to see my Congressman is on the list as an original cosponsor

Rep. Huffman, Jared [D-CA-2]* 01/24/2017
Rep. Lee, Barbara [D-CA-13]* 01/24/2017
Rep. Clark, Katherine M. [D-MA-5]* 01/24/2017
Rep. Clay, Wm. Lacy [D-MO-1]* 01/24/2017
Rep. Clyburn, James E. [D-SC-6]* 01/24/2017
Rep. Cohen, Steve [D-TN-9]* 01/24/2017
Rep. Cummings, Elijah E. [D-MD-7]* 01/24/2017
Rep. Ellison, Keith [D-MN-5]* 01/24/2017
Rep. Engel, Eliot L. [D-NY-16]* 01/24/2017
Rep. Grijalva, Raul M. [D-AZ-3]* 01/24/2017
Rep. Jackson Lee, Sheila [D-TX-18]* 01/24/2017
Rep. Lieu, Ted [D-CA-33]* 01/24/2017
Rep. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large]* 01/24/2017
Rep. Pocan, Mark [D-WI-2]* 01/24/2017
Rep. Roybal-Allard, Lucille [D-CA-40]* 01/24/2017
Rep. Ryan, Tim [D-OH-13]* 01/24/2017
Rep. Scott, Robert C. "Bobby" [D-VA-3]* 01/24/2017
Rep. Serrano, Jose E. [D-NY-15]* 01/24/2017
Rep. Takano, Mark [D-CA-41]* 01/24/2017
Rep. Kaptur, Marcy [D-OH-9]* 01/24/2017
Rep. Jeffries, Hakeem S. [D-NY-8]* 01/24/2017
Rep. Lewis, John [D-GA-5]* 01/24/2017
Rep. Tonko, Paul [D-NY-20]* 01/24/2017
Rep. Thompson, Bennie G. [D-MS-2]* 01/24/2017
Rep. Schakowsky, Janice D. [D-IL-9]* 01/24/2017
Rep. Watson Coleman, Bonnie [D-NJ-12]* 01/24/2017
Rep. Welch, Peter [D-VT-At Large]* 01/24/2017
Rep. Napolitano, Grace F. [D-CA-32]* 01/24/2017
Rep. Brady, Robert A. [D-PA-1]* 01/24/2017
Rep. Cartwright, Matt [D-PA-17]* 01/24/2017
Rep. Pingree, Chellie [D-ME-1]* 01/24/2017
Rep. Lawrence, Brenda L. [D-MI-14]* 01/24/2017
Rep. Garamendi, John [D-CA-3]* 01/24/2017
Rep. Lofgren, Zoe [D-CA-19]* 01/24/2017
Rep. Blumenauer, Earl [D-OR-3]* 01/24/2017
Rep. Kelly, Robin L. [D-IL-2]* 01/24/2017
Rep. Clarke, Yvette D. [D-NY-9]* 01/24/2017
Rep. Nolan, Richard M. [D-MN-8]* 01/24/2017
Rep. Cleaver, Emanuel [D-MO-5]* 01/24/2017
Rep. Hastings, Alcee L. [D-FL-20]* 01/24/2017
Rep. Chu, Judy [D-CA-27]* 01/24/2017
Rep. McGovern, James P. [D-MA-2]* 01/24/2017
Rep. Johnson, Henry C. "Hank," Jr. [D-GA-4]* 01/24/2017
Rep. Nadler, Jerrold [D-NY-10]* 01/24/2017
Rep. Jayapal, Pramila [D-WA-7]* 01/24/2017
Rep. Doyle, Michael F. [D-PA-14]* 01/24/2017
Rep. Adams, Alma S. [D-NC-12]* 01/24/2017
Rep. Beatty, Joyce [D-OH-3]* 01/24/2017
Rep. Green, Al [D-TX-9]* 01/24/2017
Rep. DeSaulnier, Mark [D-CA-11]* 01/24/2017
Rep. Moore, Gwen [D-WI-4]* 01/24/2017
Rep. Gutierrez, Luis V. [D-IL-4] 02/02/2017
Rep. Yarmuth, John A. [D-KY-3] 02/02/2017
Rep. Davis, Danny K. [D-IL-7] 02/02/2017
Rep. Rush, Bobby L. [D-IL-1] 02/02/2017
Rep. Slaughter, Louise McIntosh [D-NY-25] 02/02/2017
Rep. Lowenthal, Alan S. [D-CA-47] 02/03/2017
Rep. Raskin, Jamie [D-MD-8] 02/14/2017
Rep. Khanna, Ro [D-CA-17] 02/14/2017
Rep. Speier, Jackie [D-CA-14] 02/28/2017
Rep. Evans, Dwight [D-PA-2] 02/28/2017
Rep. Capuano, Michael E. [D-MA-7] 03/08/2017
Rep. Butterfield, G. K. [D-NC-1] 03/08/2017
Rep. Fudge, Marcia L. [D-OH-11] 03/09/2017
Rep. Bass, Karen [D-CA-37] 03/10/2017
Rep. Eshoo, Anna G. [D-CA-18] 03/16/2017
Rep. Higgins, Brian [D-NY-26] 03/16/2017
Rep. Bonamici, Suzanne [D-OR-1] 03/16/2017
Rep. Meeks, Gregory W. [D-NY-5] 03/16/2017
Rep. Maloney, Carolyn B. [D-NY-12] 03/22/2017
Rep. Espaillat, Adriano [D-NY-13] 03/22/2017
Rep. Barragan, Nanette Diaz [D-CA-44] 03/22/2017
Rep. Velazquez, Nydia M. [D-NY-7] 03/28/2017
Rep. Payne, Donald M., Jr. [D-NJ-10] 03/28/2017
Rep. Wilson, Frederica S. [D-FL-24] 03/29/2017
Rep. Gabbard, Tulsi [D-HI-2] 03/29/2017
Rep. DeFazio, Peter A. [D-OR-4] 04/03/2017
Rep. Castor, Kathy [D-FL-14] 04/03/2017
Rep. Green, Gene [D-TX-29] 04/03/2017
Rep. Price, David E. [D-NC-4] 04/03/2017
Rep. Cicilline, David N. [D-RI-1] 04/03/2017
Rep. Panetta, Jimmy [D-CA-20] 04/03/2017
Rep. Brown, Anthony G. [D-MD-4] 04/03/2017
Rep. Carson, Andre [D-IN-7] 04/03/2017
Rep. Sarbanes, John P. [D-MD-3] 04/05/2017
Rep. Titus, Dina [D-NV-1] 04/05/2017
Rep. Meng, Grace [D-NY-6] 04/05/2017
Rep. Correa, J. Luis [D-CA-46] 04/05/2017
Rep. DeGette, Diana [D-CO-1] 04/05/2017
Rep. McNerney, Jerry [D-CA-9] 04/05/2017
Rep. Dingell, Debbie [D-MI-12] 04/06/2017
Rep. Gallego, Ruben [D-AZ-7] 04/06/2017
Rep. Loebsack, David [D-IA-2] 04/06/2017
Rep. Polis, Jared [D-CO-2] 04/17/2017
Rep. Sablan, Gregorio Kilili Camacho [D-MP-At Large] 04/17/2017
Rep. Perlmutter, Ed [D-CO-7] 04/17/2017
Rep. Gonzalez, Vicente [D-TX-15] 04/17/2017
Rep. Smith, Adam [D-WA-9] 04/17/2017
Rep. Sanchez, Linda T. [D-CA-38] 04/20/2017
Rep. Boyle, Brendan F. [D-PA-13] 04/25/2017
Rep. Lawson, Al, Jr. [D-FL-5] 04/25/2017
Rep. Swalwell, Eric [D-CA-15] 04/25/2017
Rep. Cooper, Jim [D-TN-5] 04/25/2017
Rep. Thompson, Mike [D-CA-5] 04/25/2017
Rep. Waters, Maxine [D-CA-43] 04/28/2017
Rep. Soto, Darren [D-FL-9] 04/28/2017
Rep. Matsui, Doris O. [D-CA-6] 04/28/2017
Rep. Visclosky, Peter J. [D-IN-1] 04/28/2017
Rep. Sires, Albio [D-NJ-8] 05/16/2017
Rep. Deutch, Theodore E. [D-FL-22] 05/16/2017
Rep. Crowley, Joseph [D-NY-14] 05/23/2017
Rep. Veasey, Marc A. [D-TX-33] 05/24/2017
Rep. Schiff, Adam B. [D-CA-28] 06/22/2017
Rep. Lowey, Nita M. [D-NY-17] 07/12/2017
Rep. Bishop, Sanford D., Jr. [D-GA-2] 07/17/2017
Rep. Gomez, Jimmy [D-CA-34] 07/28/2017
Rep. Sherman, Brad [D-CA-30] 08/18/2017

[R B Garr]

22. WOW! That's exactly what I had on my mind--a

comprehensive list of good Democrats who have signed on to Conyers bill.

Looks good, thank you.

[Brother Buzz]

23. I should have added the link

https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/676/cosponsors

[R B Garr]

25. Thanks, again. The bill title: Expanded & Improved Medicare for All

And it's been introduced for over a decade, so thanks to all these good Democrats for their visionary efforts. This is how laws are made.

[QC]

29. The House of Representatives and the Senate are separate bodies. n/t

[R B Garr]

30. Single payer is single payer. Both submit bills. Quit trying to make it

seem like Sanders is superior to other good Democrats. Lots of Democrats have supported single payer for many years.

John Conyers has been submitting a single payer bill for YEARS. It's not like no one has ever thought of this before.

[shenmue]

5. Loves me some Rep. Conyers

[factfinder_77]

8. Comparison of Conyers and Sanders/McDermott Bills

http://www.md.pnhp.org/docs/Comparison-HR676-and-S703.pdf

[Voltaire2]

12. So the Sanders/McDermott bill is far more detailed.

Interesting as it is being attacked here for being completely lacking in detail.

Thanks for posting. Of course there are differences, but the general outline of each bill is very similar. And of course one is for the house and one for the senate, another fact which seems to have escaped some posters.

[msongs]

9. conyers is not a self promoter. facts suffice nt

[Voltaire2]

13. aren't all politicians, almost by definition, self-promoters?

Do book tours count?

How about we look at the cascade of support in our party for single-payer and stop fighting the primaries and get on board with a unified agenda for the 2018 elections?

Huh?

[QC]

15. Not many shrinking violets in politics. n/t

[marylandblue]

11. With over half her conference for it, why is Pelosi against it?

[philly_bob]

17. Great news -- turns into an occasion for Sanders-sniping on DU.

Two slightly different Democratic ideas of how to fix American health care. That's how things get done.

[QC]

19. Some people think that last year's message board drama

is more important than things like winning the upcoming midterm elections, making people's lives better, etc.

[R B Garr]

21. OR people are sick and tired of Democrats being

thrown under the bus and just flat out lied about.

[R B Garr]

20. We should start 117 threads to thank each of these good Democrats

individually.

Then multiply that for all the years Conyers submitted his single payer bill.

[Not Ruth]

26. It's happening!

[RandySF]

27. It helps to have a plan in each chamber

But think it will to. One from the House first.

[HarmonyRockets]

31. Listen to what he has to say

Link to tweet