# 119-s-2032: Choose Medicare Act

119-s-2032, Choose Medicare Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR] (D-OR); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2025-12-21).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2032
- As of: 2025-12-21
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-s-2032
- Congress: 119
- Title: Choose Medicare Act
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2025-06-11
- Sponsor: Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR] (D-OR)
- Cosponsors: 11
- Policy area: Health
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2025-12-21

## Summary

**Creates Medicare Part E public health plans run by HHS to offer a government-backed insurance option across individual, small group, and large group markets.** These plans would combine ACA essential health benefits, Medicare-covered services, gold-level coverage, and reproductive services including abortion.

## Cosponsors (11)

- Sen. Murphy, Christopher [D-CT] (D-CT), 2025-06-11T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Baldwin, Tammy [D-WI] (D-WI), 2025-06-11T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT] (D-CT), 2025-06-11T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Booker, Cory A. [D-NJ] (D-NJ), 2025-06-11T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Duckworth, Tammy [D-IL] (D-IL), 2025-06-11T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Reed, Jack [D-RI] (D-RI), 2025-06-11T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Schatz, Brian [D-HI] (D-HI), 2025-06-11T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [D-NY] (D-NY), 2025-06-11T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Smith, Tina [D-MN] (D-MN), 2025-06-11T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Durbin, Richard J. [D-IL] (D-IL), 2025-06-12T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Schiff, Adam B. [D-CA] (D-CA), 2025-12-09T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Lower premiums and out-of-pocket costs: benefit, high. If enacted, issuers would have to cut cost-sharing so plans pay more of costs for low- and middle-income enrollees. The bill sets plan-share targets by income bands (for example, 94% at 100–133% FPL; 80% at 300–400% FPL) for plan years after 2025. The bill would also fund a State reinsurance or aff…
- New annual Medicare out-of-pocket cap: benefit, high. If enacted, Medicare Part A and B would have an annual out-of-pocket limit. The limit would be $6,700 for 2027. After 2027, the limit would change each year by the medical-care CPI-U for the prior 12 months ending in June, rounded to the nearest $5. The Secretary would announce each year's limit st…
- New Medicare Part E plans: benefit, high. If enacted, the Secretary would create Medicare Part E public plans you could buy on Exchanges. Part E plans would cover essential health benefits, Medicare items, gold-level coverage, and abortions. The Secretary would treat the government as an issuer and allow portability after loss of employer…
- Changes to premium tax credit: benefit, high. If enacted, the law would change the premium tax credit for tax years after 2025. It would remove the explicit 400% of poverty cap and use a sliding scale for subsidy percentages. The benchmark plan for subsidies would change from the second-lowest-cost silver plan to the second-lowest-cost gold pl…
- Federal review of health rates: mixed, high. If enacted, the Secretary would set premiums for Medicare Part E plans by market and rating area. The bill would also create federal authority to review and correct health 'rates' that are potentially excessive, unjustified, or unfairly discriminatory. Corrective powers include denying or changing…
- Employer referrals to exchange navigators: mixed, low. If enacted, employers that do not offer an affordable, minimum-value plan would have to refer each full-time employee to an Exchange navigator at hire or on the effective date. This referral rule would start in each State two years after enactment. The bill would also authorize funds to expand navi…

## Related bills

- 119-s-5066: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026
- 119-s-2823: FAMILY Act
- 119-s-51: Washington, D.C. Admission Act
- 119-s-5108: Right to IVF Act of 2026
- 119-s-1503: Equality Act
- 119-s-2295: Child Care for Working Families Act

## Sources
- [119-s-2032 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/2032)

## Related
- [119-s-5066: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5066)
- [119-s-2823: FAMILY Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2823)
- [119-s-51: Washington, D.C. Admission Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-51)
- [119-s-5108: Right to IVF Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5108)
- [119-s-1503: Equality Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1503)
- [119-s-2295: Child Care for Working Families Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2295)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2032 (as of 2025-12-21).