# What the Choose Medicare Act Does

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 health plan that anyone could buy into, similar to how private insurance companies offer plans on the health insurance marketplaces. The plan would offer comprehensive coverage including doctor visits, hospital care, prescription drugs, and reproductive health services including abortion care. 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 difference from private insurance is that the government would run this plan directly and negotiate payment rates with doctors and hospitals. These rates would fall somewhere between what Medicare currently pays providers and what private insurance companies typically pay—essentially splitting the difference. The bill sets aside $2 billion to get the program started and another round of funding to cover initial claims. Premiums would be set high enough to cover all the medical costs and administrative expenses, but the idea is that by having the government run it efficiently, it could potentially offer competitive pricing compared to private plans.

The bill also requires employers who don't offer health insurance—or offer plans that are too expensive or don't cover enough—to refer their full-time employees to people called "navigators" who can help them understand their insurance options. This would start two years after the law passes. Additionally, the bill includes a provision about protecting Medicare patients from high out-of-pocket costs, though the specific details of that protection aren't fully detailed in this version of the bill.