In Hearing on Health Care Innovation, Rep. Higgins Makes Push for Medicare Buy-In

WASHINGTON, April 26 -- Rep. Brian Higgins, D-New York, issued the following news release:

During a House of Representatives Ways and Means hearing on Innovation in Health Care (https://democrats-waysandmeans.house.gov/legislation/hearings/innovation-health-care), Congressman Brian Higgins (NY-26) urged the federal government to reduce the cost of health care for Americans by allowing a Medicare Buy-in option.

Higgins said in part, "Why wouldn't we simply use the best public option that already exists - that's the Medicare program - to allow people between the ages of 50 and 64 to buy into Medicare at their own expense, thus realizing great savings? Because we all know from the most recent iteration of healthcare, advanced by the Majority in the House, who gets clobbered - the population of 50 to 64. Why? Because insurance companies view them as a risk. So they have huge deductibles, huge copays and huge premiums to the point that they can't afford health insurance. So there's an incentive for all of us to provide an option to the American people that would allow them to buy-in."

Congressman Higgins is sponsoring the Medicare Buy-In and Health Care Stabilization Act (H.R.3748), which provides Americans ages 50 to 64 with the option to purchase Medicare. The Medicare program, currently available to Americans 65 years of age and over, has proven to be cost effective and well-liked by enrollees for more than 50 years.