Expanded & Improved Medicare For All Act

Bill: 115-hr-676
Sponsor: Rep. Conyers, John, Jr. [D-MI-13]
Introduced: 2017-01-24 in the House
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Advisory bodies
Appropriations
Child health
Comprehensive health care
Department of Health and Human Services
Employment and training programs
Employment taxes
Executive agency funding and structure
Government studies and investigations
Government trust funds
Health care costs and insurance
Health care coverage and access
Health care quality
Health information and medical records
Health personnel
Health programs administration and funding
Health promotion and preventive care
Income tax rates
Indian social and development programs
Long-term, rehabilitative, and terminal care
Medical ethics
Medicare
Mental health
Minority health
Poverty and welfare assistance
Prescription drugs
Right of privacy
Sales and excise taxes
Securities
State and local finance
Veterans' medical care

Summary:
action_date: 2017-01-24
text: 

Expanded & Improved Medicare for All Act

 
This bill establishes the Medicare for All Program to provide all individuals residing in the United States and U.S. territories with free health care that includes all medically necessary care, such as primary care and prevention, dietary and nutritional therapies, prescription drugs, emergency care, long-term care, mental health services, dental services, and vision care.
 
Only public or nonprofit institutions may participate. Nonprofit health maintenance organizations (HMOs) that deliver care in their own facilities may participate. 
 
Patients may choose from participating physicians and institutions. 
 
Health insurers may not sell health insurance that duplicates the benefits provided under this bill. Insurers may sell benefits that are not medically necessary, such as cosmetic surgery benefits. 
 
The bill sets forth methods to pay institutional providers and health professionals for services. Financial incentives between HMOs and physicians based on utilization are prohibited. 
 
The program is funded: (1) from existing sources of government revenues for health care, (2) by increasing personal income taxes on the top 5% of income earners, (3) by instituting a progressive excise tax on payroll and self-employment income, (4) by instituting a tax on unearned income, and (5) by instituting a tax on stock and bond transactions. Amounts that would have been appropriated for federal public health care programs, including Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), are transferred and appropriated to carry out this bill.
 
The program must give employment transition benefits and first priority in retraining and job placement to individuals whose jobs are eliminated due to reduced clerical and administrative work under this bill. 
 
The Department of Health and Human Services must create a confidential electronic patient record system.
 
The bill establishes a National Board of Universal Quality and Access to provide advice on quality, access, and affordability. 
 
The Indian Health Service must be integrated into the program after five years. Congress must evaluate the continued independence of Department of Veterans Affairs health programs.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2018-03-07
text: ASSUMING FIRST SPONSORSHIP - Mr. Ellison asked unanimous consent that he may hereafter be considered as the first sponsor of H.R. 676, a bill originally introduced by former Representative Conyers, for purposes of adding cosponsors and requesting reprintings pursuant to clause 7 of rule XII. Agreed to without objection.
action_date: 2017-02-10
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Indian, Insular and Alaska Native Affairs.
action_date: 2017-02-07
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
action_date: 2017-01-24
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, and Natural Resources, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2017-01-24
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, and Natural Resources, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2017-01-24
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, and Natural Resources, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2017-01-24
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, and Natural Resources, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2017-01-24
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2017-01-24
text: Introduced in House