The proposal comes from the Congressional Progressive Caucus, who met with White House counselor Steve Ricchetti to make their case. Their pitch includes lowering Medicare’s age eligibility requirements from 65 to 60 and expanding coverage to include dental, vision and hearing.
Ms. Jayapal said the White House will back the move only if the votes push it through. The proposal is largely similar to Medicare efforts backed by the Biden administration that were not included in the American Families Plan over other priorities.
The Hill reported that while the proposal faces pushback from right and moderate-leaning legislators, expanding coverage may be easier to include in an upcoming package than pushing to lower the eligibility age.
The proposal also faces pushback from groups like the Partnership for America’s Health Care Future, which said the move would stifle private insurance and potentially lead to healthcare systems being underpaid, according to The Hill.
