Senator Tammy Baldwin Introduces Medicare at 50 Act: Buy-In From Age 50 Would Reach More Than 58 Million Americans
U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin led a group of colleagues in Washington on November 10 in introducing the Medicare at 50 Act, legislation that would let Americans ages 50 to 64 buy into Medicare, lowering the program's eligibility age from 65 to 50 and giving more than 58 million Americans another coverage option. It is her first bill after the midterm election.
Baldwin said Wisconsin families are struggling to make ends meet amid the skyrocketing cost of health care, and that for too many people in their 50s and early 60s, finding affordable health insurance means paying very high premiums or going without coverage altogether. Giving more Americans the option to buy into Medicare at 50, she said, would mean more choices, more affordable coverage and some breathing room in family budgets.
More than 60 million Americans are between the ages of 50 and 64, and 11.5 percent of Americans between 55 and 64 remain uninsured. In 2026, premiums for Americans ages 50 to 64 buying insurance through the Affordable Care Act Marketplace doubled, while enrollment among this population fell by 6 percent, according to the bill's sponsors.
Individuals who choose to enroll would receive the same benefits and protections available under Medicare Parts A, B and D, including the option to enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan. The legislation would also let eligible individuals keep the same premium tax credits and cost-sharing subsidies they would qualify for through the ACA Marketplace.
The bill is co-sponsored by nine senators: Richard Blumenthal, Jeff Merkley, Chris Van Hollen, Jack Reed, Tammy Duckworth, Andy Kim, Cory Booker, Ed Markey and Kirsten Gillibrand. In statements, Van Hollen, Kim and Duckworth each said Congress must act now to bring down the cost of health care.
Source: Office of U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：美国联邦参议员 Tammy Baldwin 官方肖像（公共领域，经 Wikimedia Commons；原竖幅肖像已垫入 16:9 画布，人物完整未裁切）。 / Photo: Official portrait of U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (public domain, via Wikimedia Commons; the vertical portrait is padded onto a 16:9 canvas, uncropped).
