Medicare is a federal health insurance program covering individuals 65 years of age or older and younger individuals with certain disabilities. Individuals enrolling in Medicare may enroll in original Medicare, which is administered by the federal government, or Medicare Advantage Program, which is administered by private insurers.

Both original Medicare and Medicare Advantage are regulated almost exclusively by federal law, which preempts state law in this area.

The Legislature makes various findings regarding Medicare and states its opposition to Medicare privatization.

The Legislature requests the federal government to level the playing field between original Medicare and Medicare Advantage so that Medicare beneficiaries will not suffer additional costs by enrolling in original Medicare and will have a genuine choice between the public and private program as a step toward health care equity. To that end, the Legislature asks the federal government to:

• eliminate the original Medicare 20 percent copays and setting an out-of-pocket cap on medical expenses;
• add benefits to original Medicare such as dental, vision, and hearing coverage as is permitted in Medicare Advantage plans;
• eliminate the allowed excessive administrative costs and profits in the Medicare Advantage program; and
• recoup funds for the Medicare Trust Fund from the Medicare Advantage overpayments, fraud, and abuse to support a robust original Medicare system that will lower costs and improve benefits, access, and equity for all seniors and disabled beneficiaries.