To establish a Medicare-for-All national health insurance program.
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
IntroducedMr. Sanders (for himself, Ms. Baldwin, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Booker, …
Summary
What This Bill Does
This legislation creates a universal healthcare system covering all U.S. residents. The Medicare for All Program would provide comprehensive medical care including hospital services, prescription drugs, mental health, dental, vision, and long-term care with no deductibles or copays (except limited drug cost-sharing up to $200/year). Private insurance offering duplicate coverage would be prohibited.
Who Benefits and How
Uninsured and underinsured Americans gain comprehensive coverage with no cost-sharing. Patients with chronic conditions or high medical costs benefit from elimination of deductibles and copays. Healthcare providers receive simplified billing through a single payer. Employers are relieved of the burden of providing health insurance. Generic drug manufacturers may benefit from policies encouraging generic use.
Who Bears the Burden and How
Private health insurers lose the ability to sell coverage that duplicates Medicare for All benefits, effectively ending their core business. Employer-sponsored insurance plans are prohibited from offering duplicate benefits. Pharmaceutical companies face government-negotiated drug prices. Some high-earning healthcare providers may see reduced reimbursement rates. Institutional long-term care facilities remain under Medicaid with potentially tighter standards.
Key Provisions
- Universal coverage for all U.S. residents with comprehensive benefits including dental, vision, mental health, and long-term care
- Eliminates patient cost-sharing (no deductibles, copays, or coinsurance) except limited prescription drug cost-sharing
- Prohibits private insurers from selling coverage duplicating Medicare for All benefits
- Phases in over 4 years (children covered in Year 1)
- Establishes global budgeting for institutional providers and negotiated fee schedules
Evidence Chain:
This summary is derived from the structured analysis below. See "Detailed Analysis" for per-title beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
Primary Purpose
Establishes a single-payer national health insurance program (Medicare for All) that provides comprehensive healthcare coverage to all U.S. residents, replacing private health insurance and consolidating most federal health programs.
Policy Domains
Legislative Strategy
"Replace fragmented U.S. healthcare system with single-payer model providing universal coverage, eliminating private insurance's role in primary coverage while preserving supplemental insurance market"
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
- "the_secretary"
- → Secretary of Health and Human Services
- "the_secretary"
- → Secretary of Health and Human Services
- "the_secretary"
- → Secretary of Health and Human Services
- "the_secretary"
- → Secretary of Health and Human Services
Key Definitions
Terms defined in this bill
Criteria to be established by Secretary for determining residency for eligibility purposes
Health insurance coverage that duplicates benefits provided under the Medicare for All Program
Items and services that are medically necessary or appropriate for the maintenance of health or for the diagnosis, treatment, or rehabilitation of a health condition
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology