President Joe Biden’s $3.5 trillion social spending program is still gaining partisan support in the House of Representatives, despite a party-line vote. If passed, the bill’s healthcare provisions would be “the biggest health expansion since Obamacare.”
- Visionist: Initially, there was optimism that the bill would expand Medicare to cover vision, dental, and hearing care, but the change would take years to execute, so a stopgap fix is being considered.
- Feud: Democrats, on the other hand, are continuing to fight for Medicaid expansion for 2.2 million individuals in states that have so far refused. Select senators are considering offering free coverage to some Americans through the Affordable Care Act marketplaces until a more permanent government scheme to bridge the coverage gap can be devised.
- Resolutions: Under the budget resolution, Medicare, which is used by the majority of Americans once they reach the age of 65, will include dental, vision, and hearing. In addition, the age at which people can enlist up for the military will be lowered, most likely to 60, as President Joe Biden has stated.
- Goals: The proposals are part of Democrats’ goal to strengthen the social safety net and invest in efforts to combat climate change. The House approval of the budget resolution — resting on a 220-to-212 party-line vote — clears the way for lawmakers to draft legislation reflecting what’s in the spending plan and, potentially, pass the massive package without Republican support through a process called budget reconciliation.
- Connections: Other attempts to connect Medicare drug-negotiation power to the bill has met with opposition, with some senators questioning the legitimacy of tying it to the bill’s fast-track framework. A policy that would send funds to home care programs for older folks and those with disabilities, as well as a policy that would temporarily subsidize buying plans through the ACA marketplaces are both still in the works.
