Sherrod Brown pushes for Medicare buy-in proposal in place of ‘Medicare for all’

Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) on Sunday called for expanding Medicare to people who are 50 years and older rather than pushing for “Medicare for all,” a popular option for many potential Democratic 2020 nominees. 

Brown, who is considering running for president and who has said Medicare for all isn’t practical, said Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union” that he wants to “help people now.” His proposal would create a voluntary buy-in to Medicare for people who are 50 and older.

{mosads}”I want to expand Medicare to 50,” he added. “Now, if we get enough people, we will see a lot of people get in — in that plan, 58-year-olds and 62-year-olds that have lost their insurance, lost their jobs. We will see the success of that, and that will end up continuing to broaden and expand coverage for so many Americans.”

To provide coverage to people under 50 years old, Brown called for fixing “the problems with the Affordable Care Act.”

“I want to help people now, and helping people now is building on the Affordable Care Act, not — not repealing ObamaCare, which is what they suggest,” he added. “It’s making sure we fix the consumer protections for pre-existing conditions.”

Several other prominent senators who are running or considering running for the Democratic presidential nomination have thrown their support behind Medicare for all, including Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.).

Brown also said that Medicare for all is difficult and suggested it would get in the way of his goal of helping people now.

“I think Medicare for all will take a while. And it’s difficult. And it’s selling it to people who now have insurance that would have to — they would have their insurance plans canceled and move into a government plan,” he said.

“I think that’s difficult,” Brown continued. “I want to help people now. That’s why you do Medicare at 50.”

.@SherrodBrown on Medicare for All: “I want to build on Obamacare, not repeal it with a whole new plan…. You don’t wipe it off, wipe it away and then come up with something new that will take time and will cause people angst and anguish to move to a different plan.” #CNNSOTU pic.twitter.com/D37IJou7a2

— State of the Union (@CNNSotu) February 17, 2019