AHIP Submits Statement Opposing Medicare For All

America's Health Insurance Plans submitted the following statement for a hearing in the House Rules Committee that focused on the “Medicare for All Act of 2019.”

Our statement emphasizes that lowering health care costs is our most important priority, while also explaining that AHIP has developed a comprehensive set of affordability recommendations on steps that Congress and the Administration can take to provide relief from rising health care costs.

We express strong opposition to the “Medicare for All Act of 2019” and similar proposals to force government insurance systems upon Americans. We caution that such proposals do nothing to address our top challenge: a growing health care affordability crisis. We also highlight our concern that these proposals would result in higher taxes on all Americans, higher total premiums and costs for people enrolled in private coverage, longer wait times, and lower quality of care.

Our statement emphasizes that health insurance providers deliver coverage that is working for hundreds of millions of Americans—including 180 million Americans who are covered through their jobs, 22 million covered through Medicare Advantage, 55 million covered through Medicaid managed care, and 20 million who buy their own coverage. While noting that the foundation for an effective health care system already exists, we urge Congress to build on the lessons learned in these markets to improve what’s working and fix what’s broken, ensuring that all Americans have affordable, comprehensive health coverage that promotes timely access to high-quality care.