On June 12, the House Ways and Means Committee held a hearing entitled, "Pathways to Universal Health Coverage," marking the first time a congressional committee with jurisdiction over health care issues held a hearing on the issue, following two events hosted by the Rules and Budget committees earlier this year. Members used most of their time voicing support or opposition for various "Medicare for All," buy-in, or public option proposals, with Democrats accusing Republicans of "scare tactics" and hypocrisy around their support for pre-existing condition protections while simultaneously undermining the Affordable Care Act's (ACA) consumer protections. Representatives such as John Lewis (D-GA) likened it to the fight for civil rights and others agreed that health care is a fundamental right. Meanwhile, Republicans argued that "Medicare for All" would result in a government takeover of health care that would lead to inefficiencies in care, as witnessed by the Veterans Administration (VA) and countries such as Canada and the U.K., while also costing trillions of dollars, harming rural communities, and stifling innovation with a one-sized-fits-all approach that eliminates private coverage and choice.

Throughout the hearing, the witnesses discussed several mechanisms for achieving universal health care at the federal and state levels while calling out inefficiencies in the current system and noting that efforts to stabilize the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and reverse harm done by the Trump Administration should continue. They discussed the ability for universal coverage proposals to provide lower-cost care to a broader population due to its ability to tailor solutions to address social determinants of health, reach vulnerable and special needs populations, streamline administration and lower costs, and eliminate waste, among other things. The one Republican witness, Grace-Marie Turner, said Medicare for All would leave Americans paying more, waiting longer for health care, and receiving worse care, while costing a minimum of $32 trillion and changing the current Medicare system as we know it.

For more details, see the attached Tax Alert.

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House WM Universal Coverage