Bill · S. 2073· Senate(119-S-2073)
State Public Option Act
- Introduced
- 6/12/2025
- Last activity
- 6/12/2025 — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
- Sponsored by
- Brian Schatz
- Cosponsors
- - 14 - 0
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The State Public Option Act aims to establish a Medicaid buy-in option to provide Americans with high-quality, low-cost health insurance. This program allows residents not currently enrolled in other coverage to join Medicaid through their State. The bill includes provisions for premium assistance, cost-sharing reductions, and an enhanced federal match for administrative costs. It also mandates a review of Medicaid quality measures and updates payment floors for primary care services. Additionally, the act expands the definition of medical assistance to include comprehensive sexual and reproductive health care services.
Yes· 3 of 12
Does this make abortion easier to get?+8
The bill explicitly mandates the inclusion of comprehensive sexual and reproductive health care services, including abortion, in Medicaid coverage.
Does this make health care easier to get in general?+8
It creates a Medicaid buy-in option to provide high-quality, low-cost health insurance to a wider range of residents.
Would women be better off under this?+8
The bill explicitly expands coverage to include comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services, including abortion.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
-
Increased Choice and Affordability: The bill establishes a Medicaid buy-in option intended to give residents access to high-quality, low-cost health insurance plans (Section 2).
-
Financial Protections for Families: For certain individuals, the bill limits total annual premiums to no more than 8.5 percent of a family's household income (Section 2(d)(2)(A)(2)).
-
Access to Premium Assistance: Individuals participating in the Medicaid buy-in program may be eligible for premium assistance credits and cost-sharing reductions (Section 2(d)(2)(A)(ii) and Section 2(g)(1)(A)).
-
Support for Primary Care Providers: The bill renews and expands a Medicare payment rate floor for primary care services, which includes various physicians, advanced practice clinicians, and rural health clinics (Section 4(a)(1)).
-
Expanded Health Services: The act includes comprehensive sexual and reproductive health care services, specifically mentioning abortion services and abortion-related services, as part of Medicaid medical assistance (Section 6(a)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
-
Costs for Participants: Individuals in the Medicaid buy-in program may be subject to premiums, deductibles, or other cost-sharing charges (Section 2(d)(1)(A)).
-
Potential State Financial Burden: States that collect excess premiums beyond their medical assistance expenditures for the buy-in program must pay 50 percent of that excess amount to the Secretary of Health and Human Services (Section 2(c)(2)(B)).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Healthcare
- Improves Abortion Access+8Improves Healthcare Access+8Increases Medicaid Funding+7Increases Affordable Care Act Support+5
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Women+8Good For Low Income Households+7Good For Middle Class Households+5Good For Rural Residents+4
- Governance And Ideology
- Increases Federal Power+3Increase States Rights+2
- Social Issues And Justice
- Improves Poverty Reduction+4
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Improves Rural Development+3
- 6/23/2025
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 6/12/2025
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
- 13 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in Senate
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Richard BlumenthalDemocrat · Connecticut
Cory BookerDemocrat · New Jersey
Richard DurbinDemocrat · Illinois
Mazie HironoDemocrat · Hawaii
Martin HeinrichDemocrat · New Mexico
Amy KlobucharDemocrat · Minnesota
Ben LujánDemocrat · New Mexico
Christopher MurphyDemocrat · Connecticut
Jeff MerkleyDemocrat · Oregon
Jacky RosenDemocrat · Nevada
Jeanne ShaheenDemocrat · New Hampshire
Tina SmithDemocrat · Minnesota
Peter WelchDemocrat · Vermont
Sheldon WhitehouseDemocrat · Rhode Island