WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island is backing legislation that would let Americans ages 50 to 64 buy into Medicare, his office said Friday. He joins Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., and several other Democrats on the Medicare at 50 Act.

The bill would lower the Medicare eligibility age from 65 to 50 for people who choose to buy in. According to Reed's office, enrollees would get the same benefits and protections as under Medicare Parts A, B and D, including the option of a Medicare Advantage plan. They could also use the same premium tax credits and cost-sharing subsidies they would qualify for through the Affordable Care Act marketplace. Premiums would go into a new Medicare Buy-In Trust Fund, and states could not move Medicaid recipients ages 60 to 64 into Medicare, the office said.

"The option to buy into Medicare at 50 makes good economic sense for consumers and taxpayers alike," Reed said. He argued that bringing younger, lower-cost people into Medicare would lower premiums for everyone and increase competition among insurers. He also criticized what he called "expensive junk plans with crazy out-of-pocket medical expenses."

Reed's office blamed President Trump and Republicans for rising costs, citing health funding cuts in what it called their "Big Ugly Bill" and their refusal to extend the ACA's enhanced premium tax credits. The office said marketplace premiums for people ages 50 to 64 doubled in 2026 while enrollment in that group fell 6 percent. It said 11.5 percent of Americans ages 55 to 64 are uninsured.

According to the office, more than 240,000 Rhode Islanders are enrolled in Medicare. It cited U.S. Census Bureau figures estimating that about 200,000 Rhode Islanders are between 50 and 65.

"For too many folks in their 50s and early 60s, finding affordable health insurance means paying through the nose or going without the coverage they need altogether," Baldwin said.

Co-sponsors include Sens. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and Ed Markey, D-Mass., along with Cory Booker, Tammy Duckworth, Kirsten Gillibrand, Andy Kim, Jeff Merkley and Chris Van Hollen. The release included no response from Republicans.

This brief was drafted by AI from a public agency or political press release and published by The New England Signal. Why we use AI for stories like this one.