Medicare for All Act of 2019
Latest action · Apr 10, 2019 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
Progress
Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.
- IntroducedApr 10, 2019
- Passed SenateNot reached
- Passed HouseNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
Medicare for All Act of 2019
This bill establishes a national health insurance program that is administered by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
Among other requirements, the program must (1) cover all U.S. residents; (2) provide for automatic enrollment of individuals upon birth or residency in the United States; and (3) cover items and services that are medically necessary or appropriate to maintain health or to diagnose, treat, or rehabilitate a health condition, including hospital services, prescription drugs, mental health and substance abuse treatment, dental and vision services, and home- and community-based long-term care.
The bill prohibits cost-sharing (e.g., deductibles, coinsurance, and copayments) and other charges for covered services, with the exception of prescription drugs. Additionally, private health insurers and employers may only offer coverage that is supplemental to, and not duplicative of, benefits provided under the program.
Health insurance exchanges and specified federal health programs terminate upon program implementation. However, the program does not affect coverage provided through the Department of Veterans Affairs or the Indian Health Service. Additionally, state Medicaid programs must cover certain institutional long-term care services.
The bill also establishes a series of implementing provisions relating to (1) health care provider participation; (2) HHS administration; and (3) payments and costs, including the requirement that HHS negotiate prices for prescription drugs and establish a formulary.
Individuals who are age 18 or younger may enroll in the program starting one year after enactment of this bill; other individuals may buy into a transitional plan or an expanded Medicare program at this time, depending on age. The bill's program must be fully implemented four years after enactment.
Cosponsors 14
Members who signed on, in the order they did. All signed on Apr 10, 2019.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| D-HI | Brian Schatz | Original | Apr 10, 2019 |
| D-NJ | Cory A. Booker | Original | Apr 10, 2019 |
| D-MA | Edward J. Markey | Original | Apr 10, 2019 |
| D-MA | Elizabeth Warren | Original | Apr 10, 2019 |
| D-OR | Jeff Merkley | Original | Apr 10, 2019 |
| D-CA | Kamala D. Harris | Original | Apr 10, 2019 |
| D-NY | Kirsten E. Gillibrand | Original | Apr 10, 2019 |
| D-NM | Martin Heinrich | Original | Apr 10, 2019 |
| D-HI | Mazie K. Hirono | Original | Apr 10, 2019 |
| D-VT | Patrick J. Leahy | Original | Apr 10, 2019 |
| D-CT | Richard Blumenthal | Original | Apr 10, 2019 |
| D-RI | Sheldon Whitehouse | Original | Apr 10, 2019 |
| D-WI | Tammy Baldwin | Original | Apr 10, 2019 |
| D-NM | Tom Udall | Original | Apr 10, 2019 |
Actions 2
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Apr 10, 2019Introduced in Senate
- Apr 10, 2019Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
Related bills 1
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| S 475 | RxCAP Act of 2019 | Related bill | Feb 13, 2019 |
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Health.
- Accounting and auditing
- Administrative law and regulatory procedures
- Administrative remedies
- Alternative treatments
- Budget process
- Child health
- Comprehensive health care
- Congressional oversight
- Debt collection
- Dental care
- Department of Health and Human Services
- Disability and health-based discrimination
- Disability and paralysis
- Drug, alcohol, tobacco use
- Emergency medical services and trauma care
- Employee benefits and pensions
- Executive agency funding and structure
- Fraud offenses and financial crimes
- Government information and archives
- Government studies and investigations
- Government trust funds
- Health
- Health care costs and insurance
- Health care coverage and access
- Health care quality
- Health facilities and institutions
- Health information and medical records
- Health personnel
- Health programs administration and funding
- Health promotion and preventive care
- Health technology, devices, supplies
- Hearing, speech, and vision care
- Home and outpatient care
- Hospital care
- Immigrant health and welfare
- Immigration status and procedures
- Income tax credits
- Inflation and prices
- Insurance industry and regulation
- Long-term, rehabilitative, and terminal care
- Medicaid
- Medical education
- Medical research
- Medical tests and diagnostic methods
- Medicare
- Mental health
- Nursing
- Poverty and welfare assistance
- Prescription drugs
- Public contracts and procurement
- Sex and reproductive health
- State and local government operations
- Temporary and part-time employment
- Women's health
- Worker safety and health
Text 1
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- Apr 10, 2019Introduced in Senate
Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov.