Bernie Sanders Introduces Medicare for All Bill With 16 Democratic Co-Sponsors

Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont introduced the Medicare for All Act of 2017 on September 13, marking a significant shift in the national healthcare debate and revealing how far the Democratic Party had moved on the issue in just a few years.

When Sanders introduced a similar single-payer proposal in 2013, not a single colleague signed on. This time, 16 Democratic senators joined him as co-sponsors, including several who were widely seen as potential 2020 presidential candidates: Kamala Harris of California, Cory Booker of New Jersey, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York.

Other co-sponsors included Al Franken, Tammy Baldwin, Richard Blumenthal, Mazie Hirono, Patrick Leahy, Edward Markey, Jeff Merkley, Brian Schatz, Jeanne Shaheen, Martin Heinrich, Tom Udall, and Sheldon Whitehouse.

The bill proposed creating a Universal Medicare Program that would cover all U.S. residents and be administered by the Department of Health and Human Services. Coverage would include hospital visits, prescription drugs, dental care, and vision — with no deductibles, copays, or coinsurance for most benefits.

Under the plan, private insurers would be prohibited from selling policies that duplicate the government coverage, though supplemental plans would still be allowed. Existing programs including Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program, TRICARE, and federal employee health plans would be phased out and absorbed into the new system. The Veterans Affairs and Indian Health Service systems would remain separate.

The transition was designed to take place over four years, with all Americans automatically enrolled at birth or upon establishing residency.

Sanders released a list of financing options alongside the bill, including a 7.5 percent employer payroll tax, a 4 percent individual income-based premium, and various taxes on high earners and corporations. He estimated the options could generate approximately $16 trillion over 10 years.

The price tag drew immediate scrutiny. A study by the Mercatus Center at George Mason University estimated the plan would increase federal spending by at least $32 trillion over a decade, though it also projected potential savings of roughly $2 trillion from reduced administrative costs.

Republicans dismissed the proposal, and it stood no chance of passing in the GOP-controlled Congress. But supporters argued the bill’s real significance was in resetting the terms of the healthcare debate and demonstrating growing mainstream support for a single-payer approach.