DeLauro Unveils Medicare For All Plan That Preserves Private Health Insurance

October 30, 2026 Press Release Today, Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) introduced the Medicare for America Act, her legislation to achieve universal healthcare in the United States. The bill opens an expanded and improved Medicare to anyone who wants it, with a stronger benefits package than any coverage available today, and takes on the underlying drivers of healthcare costs that are squeezing families, workers, and employers alike. “Healthcare is a right,” said DeLauro. “For more than 60 years, Medicare has provided needed healthcare to America’s seniors, giving them the security of knowing they can see a doctor without going broke. Every American deserves that peace of mind.” This legislation comes as families face a growing healthcare affordability crisis. The Affordable Care Act premium tax credits that Republicans allowed to expire made average annual premium payments for subsidized marketplace enrollees jump 114 percent . And starting next year, millions of Americans, who finally gained health coverage under the Medicaid expansion, will lose it because of the work requirements. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 26.7 million people went without health insurance for all of 2025. On top of that, the Congressional Budget Office estimates that Republicans’ Big Beautiful Bill will leave 10 million more Americans uninsured by 2034. “Medicare for American guarantees that no one in this country will ever be without coverage,” DeLauro continued. “And it allows families to continue to choose. If you like your current employer coverage, you keep it. If you want Medicare, it is yours – with dental, vision, hearing, an expanded benefits package, long-term services and supports, no deductible, and a hard cap on what you pay out of pocket.” “The bill also takes on hospital price gouging, drug company profiteering, and insurance company overpayments that are driving up costs for everyone. And we pay for this all by repealing the Big Beautiful Bill, which ripped coverage away from millions of people to hand more tax breaks to billionaires and big corporations.” Medicare for America would: Guarantee universal coverage Open Medicare to everyone who wants it. Every U.S. resident would be eligible to enroll in Medicare for America. Automatically enroll anyone without coverage so no one falls through the cracks. Preserve employer coverage while giving workers a choice. Employers can choose Medicare for America as their employee coverage. Workers whose employers offer coverage can choose Medicare for America instead, and their employer must still pay its share of the premium. Employer plans that remain must meet higher standards, including dental, vision, and hearing coverage. Provide a better benefits package at lower costs Protect access to vaccines by locking in coverage of the immunization schedules recommended as of June 8, 2025 before Health and Human Services Secretary RFK Jr. fired the CDC’s vaccines advisers and gutted the childhood schedule. Ensure no one pays a deductible . Cap out of pocket costs at $3,500 for individuals and $5,000 for households, with lower caps on sliding scale for families earning less than 600 percent of the federal poverty level. Cap premiums at 8 percent of income. Individuals and families earning less than 200 percent of the federal poverty level would pay no premiums and no out-of-pocket costs. Cover home and community based long-term services and supports so seniors and people with disabilities receive care at home and in their communities. Cover dental, vision, and hearing care , prescription drugs, mental health and substance use disorder treatment, maternity care, and comprehensive reproductive healthcare, including abortion. Eliminate cost-sharing for preventive care, chronic disease management, long-term care, and generic medically necessary drugs, pregnancy related care, emergency care, and all care for children under 21. Ban prior authorization and step therapy so patients get the care their doctors prescribe without insurance company delays. End the 24 month waiting period for Medicare coverage for people with disabilities. Tackle the underlying drivers of healthcare costs Establish all-payer rate setting, requiring providers to accept Medicare for America rates from employer plans and Medicare Advantage plans, while increasing payments for primary care and mental health services by at least 30 percent and guaranteeing hospitals in underserved areas get the support they need. Require site neutral payments, so patients and payers are no longer charged more for the same service simply because it is billed through a hospital outpatient department instead of a doctor’s office. Crack down on Medicare Advantage overpayments. Lower prescription drug prices by requiring the Secretary of HHS to negotiate prices for all covered drugs , authorizing competitive licensing when drug companies refuse to negotiate a fair price, creating a Prescription Drug and Medical Device Review Board to stop excessive pricing, and placing a moratorium on direct-to-consumer drug advertising. Forgive student loan debt for healthcare providers , cancelling 10 percent of federal student loans for each year a doctor, nurse, pharmacist, dentist, mental health counselor, direct care worker, or other provider works. Strengthen the healthcare workforce by lifting the cap on Medicare funded residency slots and establishing safe staffing requirements for hospitals. Medicare for America is paid for by repealing the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the 2025 Republican law that cut healthcare to finance tax breaks for billionaires and big corporations. It also asks the highest earner to pay taxes, including a 5 percent surtax on income above $500,000, among other pay-fors. The Medicare for America Act is endorsed by the Center for Medicare Advocacy, Caring Across Generations, Jacob Hacker, Justice in Aging, and the Economic Security Project. DeLauro first introduced the Medicare for America Act in 2018. Bill text is available here .