Medicare Update: Major Changes Proposed by Democrats If They Win Midterm - Newsweek

House Democrats have unveiled a new health care agenda that would make major changes to Medicare if the party regains power following November's midterm elections.

If they win, the Democrats would push to expand Medicare coverage to include dental, vision and hearing benefits as well as lower the Medicare eligibility age.

“Vision, dental, and hearing coverage would be a nice carrot to add to the traditional Medicare system," Kevin Thompson, the CEO of 9i Capital Group and the host of the 9innings podcast, told Newsweek. "These are significant gaps in original Medicare and are also some of the benefits that attract beneficiaries to Medicare Advantage. Adding these benefits to traditional Medicare could reduce one of the competitive advantages Medicare Advantage plans currently have.”

More than 68 million Americans are enrolled in Medicare, but many beneficiaries lack coverage for routine dental care as well as hearing aids and vision services.

Expanding these benefits has long been a priority for many Democrats, as these gaps in coverage can lead to worse health outcomes and higher medical costs over time.

The proposal is, in some ways, a reaction to the sharply criticized Republican-backed “One Big Beautiful Bill,” which adopted many changes to federal health care programs, including scrapping the Medicare Part D prescription program, which this proposal aims to address.

"There's a large diversity of opinions in the caucus, so a lot of what we do is just compile all the different proposals among the caucus," Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) told Punchbowl News, adding that options under discussion include "adding dental, vision and hearing coverage to Medicare.

The proposals are part of an 84-page health care platform rolled out by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries as Democratic lawmakers look to face off with President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans ahead of Election Day.

The document also calls for broader reforms to the health care system, including efforts to break up health care monopolies.

Democrats also included a focus on banning insurers from using artificial intelligence to make coverage determinations.

While progressive Democrats continue to advocate for a Medicare for All system, the agenda stops short of making it a centerpiece of the party's platform.

Jeffries has said that Medicare for All has substantial support among House Democrats, with more than 100 lawmakers backing the idea, but not enough consensus exists within the caucus to make it the party's primary proposal.

Instead, the agenda lists Medicare for All and a public option as possible alternatives. The expansion of Medicare to dental and vision, though, has considerably more support.

“As healthcare expenses continue to rise, many seniors are facing substantial increases to the goods and services they're receiving, and extending coverage for conditions that have long needed separate insurance plans could certainly help to ease the financial burden,” Alex Beene, a financial literacy instructor for the University of Tennessee at Martin, told Newsweek.

“At the same point, the pathway to this proposal passing is difficult. Even if Democrats reclaim Congress after the midterms, they would still more than likely face a Presidential veto.”

The platform is calling to reverse the health care spending reductions in last year's Republican legislation.

Democrats said those changes could lead to coverage losses and place additional financial pressure on rural hospitals and health care providers. According to the agenda, once fully implemented, millions of Americans could lose health coverage and some rural hospitals could face closure due to the Republicans’ policy changes.

“Democrats are pushing this because dental, vision and hearing are still major gaps in original Medicare. And retirees can face meaningful out-of-pocket costs for all three,” Michael Ryan, a finance expert and the founder of MichaelRyanMoney.com, told Newsweek.

“For beneficiaries, the impact could be pretty straightforward. Lower out-of-pocket costs and fewer reasons to choose Medicare Advantage solely for those extra benefits.”

The proposals right now are mere campaign promises rather than formal legislation and will depend heavily on the outcome of the November midterms.

If Democrats regain control of one or both chambers of Congress, party leaders could seek to advance portions of this health care agenda through standalone bills or legislative packages.

However, many of the proposals, particularly Medicare expansion and eligibility age changes, would likely face significant opposition from Republicans.

“I don't think a Democratic victory in the midterms alone would be enough to get this across the finish line,” Thompson said. “Democrats currently don't control either chamber of Congress, and even if they were to win the House and Senate, President Trump would still be in the White House and could veto major legislation expanding Medicare.”

Newsweek’s reporters and editors used Martyn, our AI assistant, to produce this story. Learn more about Martyn here.

Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Jason Lemon and Gray R. Thomas