Senator Bernie Sanders, Ranking Member of the Senate Health Education Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee is asking Senate Democrats to come together behind major health care reforms when they negotiate with Republicans on extending the Affordable Care Act subsidies. While Senator Sanders appreciates that Medicare for All is not in the cards at the moment, he sees an opportunity to raise a series of health care reforms that his caucus can unite behind. Inexplicably, Sanders is not urging Democrats to unite behind strengthening Traditional Medicare.
As part of the agreement to end the government shutdown, Republicans said they would hold a vote on extending premium subsidies for people in the state health care exchanges no later than mid-December. Sanders recommends in a letter to Senate Democrats that they unify behind a vote that includes repealing the $1 trillion in Medicaid cuts and lowering drug prices for people with Medicare. The goal is to make health care more affordable and accessible. But, Sanders omits the need for meaningful choice of Traditional Medicare through the addition of an out-of-pocket cap.
Today, older adults and people with disabilities are increasingly forced in to gamble with their health and their lives in Medicare Advantage. They lack a meaningful choice of Traditiona Medicare because it does not have an out-of-pocket limit and supplemental coverage is generally unavailable or unaffordable.
Sanders agrees with President Trump that the corporate health insurers are “BIG” and “BAD.” But, he explains that Trump’s proposal to send the Affordable Care Act premium subsidy money to people instead of spending it to ensure they have insurance will not protect them. As he says, it would be an “absolute disaster.” The most people would receive would be $6,500. That would not cover cancer treatment or a hospital stay or childbirth.
Sanders goes on to say that our “health care system is broken, dysfunctional and cruel.” Without insurance, people will go bankrupt or go without critical care. At the same time, we need to cut the cost of prescriptions in half, says Sanders. Again, he does not mention the plight of people in Medicare Advantage, who are regularly faced with inappropriate delays and denials of needed care.
Sanders claims he does not want to defend our current health care system. But, he proposes additional Medicare benefits which will put even more money in the pockets of corporate health insurers selling Medicare Advantage plans and weaken Traditional Medicare. Why would he not mention the need to strengthen Traditional Medicare, which is far more cost-effective than Medicare Advantage, while also guaranteeing easy access to care?
Here’s more from Just Care:
- 2026: Five things to think about when choosing between Traditional Medicare and a Medicare Advantage plan
- 2026: Medicare Part D prescription drug costs and benefits
- OIG-finds-Medicare-Advantage-continues-to-overcharge-government
- Medicare Advantage: Denials and more denials, some deadly
- Ten ways to improve Medicare Advantage
