House Democrats are discussing a healthcare policy agenda that could include an expansion of the Medicare program, the Washington Post reported Sept. 3.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries told NBC News that reversing the Medicaid cuts under H.R.1 and reviving enhanced ACA premium tax credits have “uniform Democratic support” ahead of the midterms. But privately, members have been discussing a broader expansion of Medicare, including widening eligibility, adding new benefit categories and capping enrollee costs, as well as creating some form of public insurance option, according to the Post, citing four people familiar with the discussions.
Breaking up vertically integrated healthcare companies like UnitedHealth Group and CVS Health is also under discussion, the Post reported, mirroring a theme that has drawn bipartisan support in Congress since January’s hearings with the CEOs of major insurers.
Other policy ideas Democrats are reportedly looking at are cracking down on Medicare Advantage billing practices they say are fraudulent, expanding Medicare’s authority to negotiate drug prices beyond the current scope under the Inflation Reduction Act, passing a federal right to abortion and providing public coverage to people up to 26 years old.
The talks are still early, and Democrats aren’t unified on what a public option would even look like or whether the entire party would support one, the Post reported. Some of the healthcare fights already playing out in midterm races offer a glimpse of that division, with several Democratic candidates running on versions of Medicare for All, while others are pushing more incremental expansions.
In July, a KFF poll found that costs are the biggest healthcare concern among voters heading into the midterms, with 51% saying the issue is “extremely important” for candidates to discuss.
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