# Plain Language Summary: The Choose Medicare Act

This bill creates a new public health insurance option called "Medicare Part E" that would be available to most Americans who don't already have Medicare, Medicaid, or other government coverage. Think of it as a government-run insurance plan that would compete alongside private insurance companies on the health insurance marketplaces. The plan would offer comprehensive coverage including all the standard health benefits plus reproductive services like abortion care, and it would be available to individuals buying insurance on their own, small businesses, and large employers who want to offer it to their workers.

The key feature is that Medicare Part E would negotiate its own payment rates with doctors and hospitals—rates that fall somewhere between what Medicare currently pays and what private insurers typically pay. This is meant to keep costs reasonable while ensuring doctors and hospitals have enough incentive to participate in the network. The government would need $2 billion to get the program started in 2026, plus additional money to cover claims during the first 90 days of operation. Premiums would be set based on the actual costs of providing care, adjusted for different regions and market types.

The bill also includes a requirement that employers who don't offer health insurance—or offer plans that are too expensive or don't provide adequate coverage—must refer their full-time employees to navigators. These are counselors who help people understand and enroll in insurance options through the healthcare marketplace. This requirement would take effect two years after the bill passes. Additionally, the bill includes a provision about protecting Medicare beneficiaries from extremely high out-of-pocket costs, though the specific details of that protection aren't fully spelled out in this version of the bill.