An upcoming report by the Congressional Budget Office will be the focus of hearings held by the House Budget Committee Chair John Yarmuth (D-KY). The hearings will initially focus on covering “the design considerations that policymakers should consider in developing proposals to establish a single-payer system in the United States.”
An “NYC Care” plan announced by Mayor Bill de Blasio will offer a public health insurance option on a sliding price scale based on income, which will begin in the Bronx this year and be available city-wide by 2021. It is projected to cost at least $100 million per year once fully implemented.
In one of his first official acts, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) signed a letter asking Congress to pass a new ACA waiver program to enable states to combine federal funds for Medicare, Medicaid, and veterans' health benefits with state funds into a single-payer system. The Governor’s proposed budget also calls for expanding the state’s Medicaid program and increasing ACA subsidies.
In other states: Washington Gov. Jay Inslee (D) wants to create a state-sponsored or public option health insurance plan that would include a pre-determined set of benefits and Medicare-level reimbursements for doctors. Meanwhile, the new majority in the Minnesota state house wants to create a “MinnesotaCare” buy-in plan option on the state’s exchange.
Take-away: State, local, and federal Democrats are developing policy ideas that could set the stage for federal action in 2021. While federal public-option and single-payer bills will not move in the Senate, the states are increasingly likely to serve as a testing ground for these ideas going into the 2020 election.
