Compare Medicare-for-all and Public Plan Proposals

Updated: May 15, 2019

Several bills have been introduced in the 116th Congress that would expand the role of public programs in health care. As more legislation is introduced, we will continue to update the side-by-side comparison tool. The bills range in scope from broad proposals to create a new national health insurance program for all residents to more incremental approaches that offer a public plan option in addition to current sources of coverage, private or public. These bills are grouped into five general categories:

  • Medicare-for-all, a single national health insurance program for all U.S. residents:
    • Medicare for All Act of 2019 by Rep. Jayapal, H.R. 1384
    • Medicare for All Act of 2019 by Sen. Sanders, S. 1129
  • A new national health insurance program for all U.S. residents with an opt out for qualified coverage:
    • Medicare for America Act of 2019 by Rep. DeLauro and Rep. Schakowsky, H.R. 2452
  • A new public plan option that would be offered to individuals through the ACA marketplace:
    • Keeping Health Insurance Affordable Act of 2019 by Sen. Cardin, S. 3
    • Choose Medicare Act by Sen. Merkley, S. 1261 and Rep. Richmond, H.R. 2463
    • Medicare-X Choice Act of 2019 by Sen. Bennet and Sen. Kaine, S. 981 and Rep. Delgado, H.R. 2000
    • The CHOICE Act by Rep. Schakowsky, H.R. 2085 and Sen. Whitehouse, S. 1033
  • A Medicare buy-in option for older individuals not yet eligible for the current Medicare program:
    • Medicare at 50 Act by Sen. Stabenow, S. 470
    • Medicare Buy-In and Health Care Stabilization Act of 2019 by Rep. Higgins, H.R. 1346
  • A Medicaid buy-in option that states can elect to offer to individuals through the ACA marketplace:
    • State Public Option Act by Sen. Schatz, S. 489 and Rep. Luján, H.R. 1277.

To compare proposals, select an option from one of the columns below.

Download a side-by-side comparison of these proposals (PDF).

Download proposals introduced during the 115th Congress (PDF).

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