Posted by Michael Wonder on 14 Feb 2019
Push for Medicare buy-in picks up with '50 and over' bill
13 February 2019 - House and Senate Democrats unveiled a plan Wednesday that would allow anyone over age 50 to buy into Medicare — an incremental step to expand health coverage beyond Obamacare's gains that offers an alternative to the ambitious restructuring progressives envision in their push for Medicare for All.
"I have always supported universal health care but we are not there yet," said Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), one of the co-sponsors. "Medicare at 50 is a very bold step in the right direction."
The bill by Baldwin, Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) and Reps. Brian Higgins (D-N.Y.) and Joe Courtney (D-Conn.) would enable people between ages 50 and 65 to buy a private Medicare plan and obtain the same tax credits and cost-sharing subsidies available on the Obamacare exchanges.
