House Democrats introduced a bill Oct. 22 that would lower Medicare’s eligibility age to 50 from 65.
The bill comes from Reps. Pramila Jayapal of Washington, Chris Deluzio of Pennsylvania, Debbie Dingell of Michigan and Pat Ryan of New York. Provisions would generally go into effect six months after enactment.
“Millions leave the workforce before 65, and with Trump’s cuts to healthcare, many are now left without any options as they wait, sometimes years, for Medicare enrollment,” Ms. Jayapal said in an Oct. 23 news release. “Expanding this program is a commonsense step towards ensuring that all Americans have the care they deserve.”
If passed, the bill would sunset five years after most of its provisions go into effect.
In 2021, representatives introduced a similar bill that would have lowered the Medicare eligibility age to 60. The bill ultimately died in committee.
A 2022 report from the Congressional Budget Office and Joint Committee on Taxation found that lowering the age to 60 would increase the federal deficit by $155 billion between 2026 and 2031. That same report estimated that roughly 7.3 million more people would be enrolled in both Medicare Parts A and B as their main source of coverage in 2031.
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