Lawmakers and pundits on all sides of the health care reform debate are weighing in on Sen. Bernie Sanders' new "Medicare for All" bill. The Independent senator from Vermont, along with 15 co-sponsors, introduced the bill in the Senate Wednesday.
Under the legislation, every U.S. household would receive comprehensive coverage in a publicly funded program, Sanders writes in a New York Times op-ed. The transition to the Medicare for All program would take place over four years. In the first year, benefits to older adults would be expanded to include dental care, vision coverage and hearing aids, and the eligibility age for Medicare would be lowered to 55. All children under the age of 18 would also be covered.
The eligibility age would be lowered to 45 in the second year and 35 in the third.
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Katie Kuehner-Hebert
Katie Kuehner-Hebert is a freelance writer based in Running Springs, Calif. She has more than three decades of journalism experience, with particular expertise in employee benefits and other human resource topics.
