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Is Medicare For All Coming? Here’s Why You Should Check Your Insurance Options Now!

The Medicare for All debate is full of disagreements between politicians in regards to it’s future. Some Democrats advocate for the single-payer healthcare system that would eliminate private health insurance companies, while others push for a government option. Republicans, on the other hand, are in favor of sticking with a private system and getting rid of the ACA. All of this uncertainty about the future of health insurance brings an uneasy feeling. Medicare for All might happen, and the ACA might disappear. No matter what the outcome, health insurance is in a safe place right now with affordable plans. There is no better time than now to check your insurance options and find a good policy.

What Is Medicare For All?

group of people with a huge red heart in the babkground — *Medicare for All is a government-run system that would replace private health insurance offered through employers.*

Under Medicare for All, a government-run system would replace private health insurance offered through employers. This single-payer system would be paid for by tax dollars, and Americans would no longer pay premiums, deductibles, or any point-of-service costs for healthcare. While some see this as a good thing that would ensure healthcare for everyone, others see it as a potential disaster that would cost too much and create long wait times for care.

A poll from the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation found that 56% of Americans support Medicare for All. When people were told it could lead to higher taxes, support fell to 37%. When asked whether they would still support it if it led to delays in care, the number fell to 25%.

However, as of now, talks of Medicare for All have been silenced; in fact, any talk regarding the future of health insurance for the U.S has been notably nonexistent. Where will this leave the health insurance industry after elections? Where will this leave you? Will Medicare for All take over? Will you have the option for private insurance, and if so, will the prices rise to unobtainable rates?

The Future Of The ACA Marketplace

On the other side of the aisle, Republicans have a less concrete plan for how to move forward. Their plan is still pushing for the repeal of the ACA: Republicans have been trying to get rid of the ACA since it was introduced by former President Obama. As of now, 18 Republican attorneys general are still planning to participate in a lawsuit that could mean the repeal of the Affordable Care Act within a year. If the ACA were to be dismantled, over 20 million Americans would lose health insurance.

The threat of repeal is causing uncertainty about the future of healthcare because, as of now, no Republican lawmakers have proposed a replacement plan.

A Lot Of Uncertainty

Medicare for All is a faraway dream (or nightmare, depending on who you ask) right now, and both political parties have been generally vague about their future plans for healthcare. It is better to be covered now with a secured policy than wait until the industry changes, when there are likely going to be fewer options for coverage and higher prices. Even insurers are uncertain about prices and what they expect healthcare to look like. Usually they have an idea, but not this time.

One thing that is certain is that there are still affordable ACA plans and private health insurance plans available. Currently there are a range of plans, with different coverage and prices that can meet your health and financial needs. Recently, more ACA insurance companies announced that they have expanded into new counties around the U.S. This means there are more options than ever for getting covered. It’s a good time to take advantage of the choices available and get grandfathered into a plan, in case the insurance market changes drastically in the future.

Doing the research can be a lot of work. It can feel overwhelming when you have to compare different plans to find the one that meets your needs. We get it, and that is why EZ.Insure is here to help. We won’t try to make a profit off of your confusion, we just want to help you make an informed decision. We will provide you with your own agent, who will go over all of the coverage options and prices, and guide you towards the best plan for you for free. To get started, simply enter your zip code in the bar above, or to speak directly to an agent, call 888-350-1890.

Trump’s New Plan To Strengthen Medicare

With all of the recent talk and debates about “Medicare For All”, President Trump has decided to take action. In October, Trump signed an executive order while visiting Florida, pertaining to the Medicare health program. His goal is to improve Medicare by giving seniors the ability to choose from more affordable plans.

Protecting and Improving Medicare for our Nation’s Seniors

Because Democrats are pushing to expand Medicare to everyone, Trump proposed this plan in response. He stated that he will do whatever it takes to prevent the “socialist” proposal of Medicare For All. Trump’s order is aimed to reduce regulations, curb fraud, and provide quicker access to therapies and medical devices.

trump and new medicare plan book on shelf — *Every president we have tries to improve our healthcare system. Let’s see how these changes work in the long run.*

The order wants Medicare to offer and use more medical telehealth services, in order to reduce costs to seniors. The more that seniors have access to their doctors through telehealth, then the fewer emergency room visits would occur. And in order to accomplish this, Trump proposes to get rid of regulatory requirements that prevent medical professionals from practicing at the top of their licenses.

This means that the focus will move from doing clerical tasks that don’t require a physician’s level of training to the patient’s care. For example, instead of filling out forms, faxing paperwork, and requesting medical records, the tasks can be alleviated by an assistant, freeing up the medical staff’s time to give more attention to the sick.

Allowing nurse practitioners and medical assistants to practice at the top of their license would “really enhance access to care, enhance provider availability for all Medicare beneficiaries, including in fee-for-service, and really help, especially with the rural healthcare crisis,” HHS Secretary Alex Azar said in the media call.

More Money Back To Seniors

The order directs Medicare to create a new payment model that adjusts Medicare Advantage supplemental benefits. The purpose is to allow seniors to directly be a part of any cost savings that Advantage plans generate. This will include any monetary rebates, and lowered prescription drug prices.

Azar stated, “The executive order commissions us to examine all practices, regulations, and guidance to just make sure that we are not steering people into fee-for-service as opposed to giving them a genuine choice of Medicare Advantage or fee-for-service.”

“We’re lowering the cost of prescription drugs, taking on the pharmaceutical companies. And you think that’s easy? It’s not easy… I wouldn’t be surprised if the hoax didn’t come from some of the people that we’re taking on,” Trump said. He was referring to drug companies that were backing the impeachment efforts in Washington. He believes they were doing this as a way to sabotage his efforts of making prescriptions more affordable to medicare recipients.

seniors with medicare holding their grandchildren — *As we age, we need healthcare. So, any insurance system that focuses on helping us as we mature should be improved.*

What Trump Is Pushing For

The order is undoubtedly a way to pushback against Bernie Sanders’ Medicare For All proposal, which would open the Medicare gates to everyone in America. Trump sees it as socialism, with the administrator of the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Seema Verma backing it up, calling it a “pipe dream” that would just lead to higher taxes.

Trump hopes that his proposal will be more beneficial to seniors, making Medicare a little more affordable, while at the same time condemning Medicare for All proposals.

Pete Buttigieg’s Plan To Expand Health Coverage

Following the recent democratic debates, Mayor of South Bend, IN, Pete Buttigieg has sparked conversations lately. The democratic debate found disagreements and controversy revolving around healthcare.

drawing of a person walking down a road with 3 paths in arrows — *Pete Buttigieg wants to create healthcare that provides people with the option of choosing private health insurance or government healthcare.*

Very few wanted Medicare For All, while the majority thought it should be up to the people whether they wanted private or government health insurance. Buttigieg introduced a middle-ground approach, allowing people to opt into the government health insurance while allowing them to keep private plans. The main point was to give people an option.

Options

Buttigieg’s proposal would not force people into a government health plan. He prefers that it be an option for the public to enroll or not. The idea behind the options is that it would force private insurance companies to compete with the government plan on price and coverage, hopefully bringing down the costs. He puts a lot of emphasis on giving Americans their right to choose and trusting them to make the right choice for themselves.

“For years, Washington politicians have allowed the pharmaceutical industry, giant insurance companies, and powerful hospital systems to profit off of people when they are at their sickest and most vulnerable,” he said. “My ‘Medicare for All Who Want It’ plan will create a health care system that puts power in the hands of each American.”

Promoting His Proposal

The mayor sponsored this proposal on Facebook saying, “Medicare for All Who Want It will create a public alternative, but unlike the Sanders-Elizabeth Warren vision, it doesn’t dictate to the American people and risk further polarizing them.” Another ad simply states, “I trust the American people to make their health care decisions for themselves.”

The Operation

The uninsured and low-income Americans who live in states without expanded Medicaid would be automatically enrolled in the government plan. Also, people with access to an employer’s plan would be able to join if that offered coverage is too expensive.

Buttigieg’s government’s plan would cover all of the 10 essential health benefits, including emergency services, hospitalization, and maternity care, which are currently mandated by the ACA. The mayor also wants to boost federal subsidies by capping premiums at 8.5% of income, and the base of subsidies would be on the Gold Plan’s cost, rather than the Silver Plans.

A slver key with a green tag on it that says "health" — *“Hospitals, not patients, should bear the responsibility of verifying that their providers are included in their insurance networks, whether for private plans or public programs.”*

One last thing that Buttigieg would like to include in his plan, is to get rid of “surprise” medical billing. This occurs often when patients visit a doctor or hospital only to receive a hefty bill in the mail because they were out of network.

His game plan is to ensure that in-network hospitals be billed as just that–in-network. This is to be done even if the doctors and labs are out of network. “Hospitals, not patients, should bear the responsibility of verifying that their providers are included in their insurance networks, whether for private plans or public programs,” reads Buttigieg’s plan.

The mayor’s plan will cost about $1.5 trillion over 10 years, but he is hopeful that the American people will be happy with his proposal. The reason being that they will not be forced into government healthcare. The candidacy is still in its early stages, so only time will tell the future of America’s healthcare, under Buttigieg’s plan or another.

“Medicare For All” Cause Friction In First Debate

In April, Senator Bernie Sanders introduced a new version of his “Medicare for All” bill, a single-payer health care that would eliminate private health insurance companies. Under Medicare for All, Americans would no longer pay premiums or deductibles, because the government-run system will replace private health insurance offered through employers. Republicans vocally expressed that Medicare for All is costly and ineffective. Democrats who stood behind the plan are slowly backtracking. During the debate on July 26, ten Democrats stood on stage, but only two raised their hands when asked if they were in favor of dismissing private health insurance. Some Democrats criticized the single-payer health care plan, broadcasting the first divide among the candidates.

red boxing gloves on a table. medicare for all debate. — *During the Deomcratic debate, there was a clear divide among the candidates about Medicare for All healthcare.*

Senator Warren and New York Mayor Bill de Blasio were the only two debating Medicare for All’s efficiency. Warren stated that Medicare for All solves the problems that families face due to rising insurance premiums. Most cannot afford healthcare.

Other Democrats offered to keep private insurance, in order to give Americans a choice. Sen. Amy Klobuchar said she was “just simply concerned about kicking half of America off of their health insurance in four years.”

Candidates Senator Cory Booker and Representative Tulsi Gabbard signed the Medicare for All bill but did not raise their hands at the debate. Even Representative Beto O’Rourke, who was once for the Medicare for All bill, changed his mind. It was clear he was not supporting it, stating that he would rather be in favor of a milder option allowing people to voluntarily buy into Medicare instead. “I think the choice is fundamental to our ability to get everybody cared for,” O’Rourke said.

De Blasio interrupted as O’Rourke spoke, the debate’s first interjection. “Wait, wait, wait,” he said. “Private insurance is not working for tens of millions of Americans when you talk about the co-pays, the deductibles, the premiums, the out-of-pocket expenses. It’s not working. How can you defend a system that’s not working?”

“That’s right. So for those for whom it’s not working, they can choose Medicare,” O’Rourke responded.

Former Representative John Delaney chimed in stating that “we should keep what’s working and fix what’s broken. We should give everyone in this country health care as a basic human right for free. But we should also give them the

the word healthcare in scrabble letterswith a green leaf to the left side of it. — *The future of America’s healthcare is unclear. But for now, Medicare for All does not seem to be favored.*

option to buy private insurance.”

A poll from the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation found that Americans supported Medicare for All 56% to 42%. The numbers have fallen to 25% when people were told it could lead to delays in getting care, and to 37% when they were told it could lead to higher taxes.

Democrat candidates displayed a clear divide and issue amongst Medicare for All. Even candidates, who once endorsed the bill in the past, showed they currently don’t support it. This is just the beginning of the health care battle.