Kamala Harris Unveils Plan to Transform Healthcare to a Federal System

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris (D.-Calif.) has proposed a plan to transform the U.S. healthcare system into a federal one, with a limited role for private insurers, reports the Wall Street Journal . Harris' vision of Medicare for All would invert the current system for a federal healthcare program to cover a wide range of benefits — including long-term care and hospitalization. However, private health plans could offer Medicare Advantage. Harris' proposal also calls for transferring people into the federal program over 10 years instead of the four that Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) has outlined in his plan. She also calls for hiking funding revenue with taxes on higher-income families and Wall Street trades, without raising taxes on the middle class. "Seniors transition into Medicare every day, and people keep their doctors and get care at a lower cost," Harris noted. "Let's not lose sight that we have a Medicare system that's already working." Under Harris' proposal, new federal regulations to improve plan quality, cost, and access would be implemented, with employers paying into either Medicare for All or Medicare Advantage during the transition period to get coverage for their workers.