There are a lot of health reform ideas being floated lately – Medicare-for-all and variations on the theme – that sound similar but are really quite different. Here’s an over-simplified cheat tweet.
Medicare-for-all: Everyone is in a public plan.
Optional Medicare-for-all: People can join a public plan or stay in employer coverage.
Public option: People with individual insurance can join a public plan.
Buy-in: Certain groups (e.g., age 50+) can join a public plan.
Optional Medicare-for-all: People can join a public plan or stay in employer coverage.
Public option: People with individual insurance can join a public plan.
Buy-in: Certain groups (e.g., age 50+) can join a public plan.
When looking at public plan or buy-in options that are not Medicare-for-all, I think the key questions are:
Who can join the public plan?
What do people have to pay?
What is covered?
How much do providers get paid?
How is it financed?
Who can join the public plan?
What do people have to pay?
What is covered?
How much do providers get paid?
How is it financed?
We have an interactive summary of Congressional Medicare-for-all and public plan proposals, which we will continually update as new bills are introduced.
kff.org/interactive/co…
kff.org/interactive/co…
I'd welcome friendly amendments for what we should be calling these proposals that expand public coverage options but are not Medicare-for-all, and what key factors differentiate the proposals.
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