United States National Health Care Act facts for kids
The United States National Health Care Act is also known as the Expanded and Improved Medicare for All Act (H.R. 676). It is a special plan, or "bill," that was suggested in the United States House of Representatives. Representative John Conyers from Michigan first introduced this bill.
This bill aims to create a health care system for everyone in the United States. It would be similar to how health care works in countries like Canada and Taiwan.
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What is "Medicare for All"?
The "Medicare for All" idea means that most medical care would be paid for by the U.S. Government. This is called a "single-payer" system.
How a Single-Payer System Works
In a single-payer system, the government collects money, usually through taxes. Then, it uses that money to pay for people's doctor visits, hospital stays, and medicines. This would mean that most people would not need to buy private health insurance anymore.
Right now, many people pay money each month (called "premiums") to private insurance companies. Under this bill, that would mostly stop. Private insurance companies might still offer extra coverage for things that are not considered essential.
History of the Bill
The idea for this bill was first introduced a long time ago, in 2003. Back then, 25 other lawmakers supported it. Since then, Representative Conyers has brought the bill back to Congress almost every year.
Growing Support for the Bill
Over the years, more and more lawmakers have started to support the bill. By 2015, 49 lawmakers were helping to sponsor it. By August 2017, a large number of lawmakers, 116, were supporting the bill. This was the most support it had ever received. Most of these supporters were from the Democratic Party.
In 2009, there were big talks about health care in the U.S. The "America's Affordable Health Choices Act" was being discussed, which later became the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Many people thought the "Medicare for All" bill would also be discussed and voted on, but it was not.
New Support in Congress
Recently, Representative Conyers brought the bill back to the House of Representatives again. Senator Bernie Sanders has also said that he plans to introduce a similar bill in the United States Senate. This shows that the idea of "Medicare for All" continues to be an important topic in U.S. politics.
