WASHINGTON D.C. — U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., cosponsored the Choose Medicare Act, legislation that gives every American who is not already eligible for Medicaid or Medicare the opportunity to enroll in Medicare.
The Choose Medicare Act opens up Medicare to all Americans with a new ‘Part E’ and builds on the Affordable Care Act. By allowing Medicare to compete with private health insurance, Medicare Part E puts consumers and businesses in the driver’s seat on the road to universal health care.
“New Mexico’s working families deserve affordable and accessible health care. Period,” Heinrich said. “I’m proud to cosponsor legislation that gives every New Mexican the opportunity to enroll in Medicare if they want it — putting power back into the hands of working families to choose the health care coverage that works best for them and their pocketbooks.”
The Part E plan would leverage the existing exchange networks and low administrative costs of the Medicare program, while saving Americans even more money by allowing Medicare to negotiate drug prices thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act. The new plan will cover the same benefits as traditional Medicare, as well as additional benefits to meet the needs of the nonelderly.
The Choose Medicare Act is led by U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., and Chris Murphy, D-Conn.
Alongside Heinrich, the legislation is cosponsored by U.S. Sens. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., Cory Booker, D-N.J., Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., Dick Durbin, D-Ill., Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., Jack Reed, D-R.I., Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, Tina Smith, D-Minn., and Chris Van Hollen, D-Md.
