{"bills":[{"photos":{"featured":"https://assets.causes.com/bill/photo/hr676-115/featured_expanded-improved-medicare-for-all-act-1494531901.jpg","featured_large":"https://assets.causes.com/bill/photo/hr676-115/featured_large_expanded-improved-medicare-for-all-act-1494531901.jpg","shareable":"https://n.causes.com/share-images/bills/hr676-115.png"},"introduced_on":"2017-01-24","title_override":"Medicare for All: Should the U.S. Adopt a Single Payer Healthcare System?","summary_override":"

This bill — the Expanded and Improved Medicare for All Act — would provide individuals residing in the U.S. with healthcare for all “medically necessary care” by increasing or imposing a variety of taxes. Medically necessary care would include primary care, prevention, dietary and nutritional therapies, prescription drugs, emergency care, long-term care, mental health services, dental services, and vision care. Patients would choose between participating physicians and institutions for receiving care, and the Dept. of Health and Human Services (HHS) would be required to create a confidential electronic patient record system.

The program would be funded in the following ways, although specifics about increased or new tax rates aren’t included in the bill:

Existing sources of government revenues for healthcare, such as Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP);
Increasing personal income taxes on the top five percent of income earners (about $210,000 annually for a household);
Imposing a “modest and progressive” excise tax on payroll and self-employment income;
Imposing a “modest tax” on unearned income (like interest from a savings account, stock dividends, bond interest or alimony);
Imposing a “small tax” on stock and bond transactions.

Only public or nonprofit institutions would be allowed to participate. Health insurers would be prohibited from selling insurance that duplicates the benefits provided under this bill, but could sell benefits that aren’t medically necessary such as cosmetic surgery.

The Indian Health Service would be integrated into the new Medicare program after five years, while Congress would evaluate the continued independence of the Dept. of Veterans Affairs health programs.

The program would also provide employment transition benefits and prioritize the retraining and job placement of individuals whose jobs are eliminated due to reduced clerical and administrative work under this bill.

","official_title":"To provide for comprehensive health insurance coverage for all United States residents, improved health care delivery, and for other purposes.","short_title":"Expanded & Improved Medicare For All Act","popular_title":null,"short_summary":"Expanded & Improved Medicare for All Act\n\nThis bill establishes the Medicare for All Program to provide all individuals residing in the United States and U.S. territories with free health care that includes all medically necessary care, such as primary care and prevention, dietary and nutritional therapies, prescription drugs, emergency care, long-term care, mental health services, dental services, and vision care.\n\nOnly public or nonprofit institutions may participate. Nonprofit health maintenance organizations (HMOs) that deliver care in their own facilities may participate.\n\nPatients may choose from participating physicians and institutions.\n\nHealth insurers may not sell health insurance that duplicates the benefits provided under this bill. Insurers may sell benefits that are not medically necessary, such as cosmetic surgery benefits.\n\nThe bill sets forth methods to pay institutional providers and health professionals for services. Financial incentives between HMOs and physicians ba...","summarized":true,"cost":null,"cost_commentary":"A CBO cost estimate is unavailable.","impact":"All Americans; physicians and others involved in the healthcare industry; the financial sector; and the federal government.","argument_for":"A single payer healthcare system is the best way to ensure that all Americans have access to the healthcare they need without having to worry about paying for health insurance. 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God gave us a pattern to follow for the Church and for how we should live. He DIDN'T say that following it is OPTIONAL! Nor did He say we could make changes to His pattern! I believe that there will be an eternal home of the soul - Heaven or Hell - and that Christ will judge us on the last day. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God!\n\nI am NOT\n• a Catholic\n• a Protestant\n• a Baptist\n• a Methodist\n• a Mormon\n• an Episcopalian\n• a Pentacostal\nor member of any other denomination.\n\n• I AM A CHRISTIAN, PERIOD!\n• I AM A MEMBER OF THE CHURCH OF CHRIST, PERIOD! \n• I ACKNOWLEDGE NO HEAD OF THE CHURCH EXCEPT CHRIST JESUS, THE SON OF GOD, PERIOD! \n• I FOLLOW NO MANMADE CREED, BUT THE BIBLE ONLY, WHICH IS THE INSPIRED WORD OF GOD, PERIOD!\n\nI'm a 4th. generation Texan & the mother of 2 sons. I'm retired. I love the mountains and I like Oberhasli dairy goats, organic gardening, science fiction, astronomy, camping, and hunting. I'm very fond of my OESheepdog and my Norwegian Forest cat, too.\n\n• I'm a Constitutional Conservative and a patriot. \n•. I support the Tea Party. \n• I'm for limited government and free market capitalism. \n• I'm also for school choice and school prayer. \n• I'm against abortion and same-sex \"marriage\". \n• I'm TOTALLY AGAINST the implementation of Shariah law at any level in the United States! \n• I'm for SECURE BORDERS and reduced immigration, especially of Muslims! \n• I believe ALL illegal aliens should be deported. Those who enter our country illegally should not be given special privileges at the taxpayers' expense! \n• I believe that Congress should balance the budget and Uncle Sam should live within his means - without raising taxes! \n• I also believe in \"peace through strength\" - keep our military strong and keep out the transgenders! Freedom of religion applies to the military as well as civilians! I'm AGAINST allowing foreigners to join our military! That includes Obama's Dreamers! \n• I want to see a ban on GMOs! \n• I want to see the federal government OUT OF education! \n• Audit the Fed! \n• Abolish the IRS! \n• Just say \"NO\" to political correctness and race-baiting!\n\nThis is not a complete description of what I stand for. If you have specific questions about me, it can't hurt to ask! I might even answer! :-D #MakeDCListen\n\nTHIS IS MY COUNTRY!\n\nI AM TIRED OF AND FED UP WITH MUSLIM JIHADISTS AND ILLEGAL ALIENS IN MY COUNTRY, WHO ARE BRINGING DRUGS, DISEASE, AND CRIME, WHILE BEING CODDLED BY MY GOVERNMENT AT THE EXPENSE OF THE AMERICAN CITIZENS! IT'S NOT RIGHT FOR US TO HAVE TO SUFFER THIS INVASION BY PEOPLE WHO DON'T RESPECT OUR LAWS, OUR PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, OUR FLAG, OUR LANGUAGE (That's ENGLISH!), OR OUR CULTURE! AND I'M TIRED OF AND FED UP WITH HAVING TO \"PRESS 1 FOR ENGLISH\"! WE NEED A MORATORIUM ON MUSLIM IMMIGRATION AND WE NEED TO KICK OUT ALL OF THE ILLEGAL ALIENS WHO BY DEFINITION ARE CRIMINALS! WE NEED TO MAKE OUR GOVERNMENT UNDERSTAND THAT WE DON'T WANT AMERICA TURNED INTO A THIRD WORLD CESSPOOL!\n\nI AM NOT ANTI-IMMIGRANT. I AM FOR THE RULE OF LAW. I DON'T CARE WHAT COLOR YOUR SKIN IS OR WHAT YOUR NATIVE LANGUAGE IS. BUT IF YOU COME TO MY COUNTRY TO LIVE, I EXPECT YOU TO LEARN AND SPEAK ENGLISH AND TO OBEY OUR LAWS! NONE OF THAT SHARIAH STUFF! WE HAVE FREEDOM OF RELIGION HERE IN AMERICA, AND ISLAM IS A CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER TO THAT FREEDOM! SPARE ME YOUR TAQIYYA AND HUDNA! YOU WANT TO BELIEVE MUHAMMAD IS A PROPHET OF GOD? THAT IS YOUR RIGHT, BUT IT IS OUR RIGHT TO DISAGREE WITH YOUR BELIEFS. IT IS NOT YOUR RIGHT TO KILL US FOR DISAGREEING! IF YOU DON'T LIKE OUR LAWS, YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO TRY TO CHANGE THEM THROUGH LEGAL AND PEACEFUL MEANS, BUT MANY OF US WILL PEACEFULLY AND RESPECTFULLY (insofar as it is possible) DO OUR UTMOST TO PREVENT YOU FROM SUCCEEDING, IF YOUR GOAL IS CULTURAL AND POLITICAL JIHAD.\n\nTHIS IS THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND WE HAVE A HERITAGE OF HONOR, PRIDE AND COURAGE. OUR NATION, MOREOVER, WAS FOUNDED ON CHRISTIAN PRINCIPLES! OUR REVERENCE FOR GOD AND HIS CHRIST AND THE HOLY BIBLE IS WHAT ENABLED AMERICA TO BECOME GREATLY BLESSED BY GOD. WE HAVE OUR PROBLEMS; WE ARE NOT PERFECT, BUT WE WILL FIGHT THE POWERS OF DARKNESS AND EVIL, SO HELP US, GOD!\n\nTHIS IS AMERICA! LOVE IT OR LEAVE IT!!!","twitter_id":null,"facebook_id":"lafigarus","youtube_id":"LauraroseofTexas","google_plus_id":null,"website":null,"slug":"loraki","issue_count":120,"is_following":null,"influence_score":47120,"influence_level":40,"follower_count":536,"following_count":3688,"position_count":920,"id":"8mrgkD9d","partner_id":null}],"bill_position":{"flagged":false,"id":"a7d697d1-58aa-43b8-9871-8f54e640c91a","argument_for":null,"argument_against":"I've never read anything in the Constitution about free healthcare. You libs need to understand that life is not a free ride. People help people grow and not by getting them everything for free","show_argument_for":false,"show_argument_against":true,"upvote_count":1,"upvotes_for_count":null,"upvotes_against_count":1,"has_upvoted":false,"endorsement_count":1,"links":{"self":"https://www.causes.com/positions/a7d697d1-58aa-43b8-9871-8f54e640c91a"},"body":"I've never read anything in the Constitution about free healthcare. You libs need to understand that life is not a free ride. People help people grow and not by getting them everything for free","stance":"nay","created_at":"2017-05-12T16:45:37.905Z","shareable_image_url":"https://n.causes.com/share-images/positions/a7d697d1-58aa-43b8-9871-8f54e640c91a.png","note_color":null,"note_text":null,"bill_id":"hr676-115","user_id":"0ZnxxkO9","endorser_ids":["8mrgkD9d"]}}

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Medicare for All: Should the U.S. Adopt a Single Payer Healthcare System?