“Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health is the most shocking and the most inhuman because it often results in physical death.”
– Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
I am no stranger to discussing healthcare reform policy in the United States. Having written no fewer than three other Substack articles (here, here, and here) emphasizing and affirming the centrality of healthcare as an issue, I remain deeply concerned about the future of healthcare for my fellow Americans, in particular the South Dakotans I’m running for U.S. Senate to represent.
Earlier today, Washington voted on the future of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), specifically the extension of the Enhanced Premium Tax Credits. For many Americans, that means anxiety and confusion because the premium subsidies did not survive. Many families are now left to consider whether they can still afford coverage. Millions are likely to lose coverage as premiums skyrocket, and families already living paycheck-to-paycheck have to choose between basic necessities and health insurance.
Predictably, the loyal partisan Mike Rounds voted against extending the Enhanced Premium Tax Credits, which is expected to result in a 235 percent increase in health care premiums for tens of thousands of South Dakotans.
Merry Christmas to you too Mike Rounds!
I am running for Senate because I believe our government should protect the health and well-being of working families, not play politics with their lives. I’ve given the subject of healthcare reform a lot of analysis from a big-picture perspective, but sometimes pressing issues need immediate, clear-cut solutions that build towards an aspirational goal.
Today I am proud to announce a clear plan to reform healthcare, designed to expand access, reduce costs, and give Americans genuine choice. This is not a partisan proposal; it’s just common sense. We need to set ourselves up today so we can have success tomorrow. My plan isn’t the end-all of healthcare reform, but it is a set of readily attainable, non-partisan goals that serve as a foundation for future reforms.
Two polls now confirm that when South Dakota voters hear my common-sense message to put people over parties, I can beat Mike Rounds as an Independent! Consider contributing today to help me get my message out. Thank you.
The Bengs Healthcare Plan: Choice, Security, and Fairness
The “Bengs Plan” (if I can be so forward as to name the idea) comprises five essential elements:
Extend ACA Family Plan Coverage to Age 30
Lower Medicare eligibility to Age 55
Extend ACA subsidies indefinitely, repealable only through Congressional action
Introduce a Medicare Buy-in Plan to the ACA Marketplace for Americans under Age 55
Levy healthcare funding from billionaires and corporations
Let’s talk a little more about what these elements entail:
Extend Family Plan Coverage to Age 30
The process of becoming an independent, stable adult is unpredictable now. In a modern economy marked by gig work, overbearing student loans, and uncertain job markets, many people in their mid- to late twenties struggle to find stable employment and, with it, stable health care. Under current law, family coverage ends at age 26. My plan extends that safety net until age 30. Let families keep their kids covered when it matters most, not when politics dictate.
Lower Medicare Eligibility to Age 55
Why wait until 65 for quality, reliable coverage? For Americans nearing retirement, for workers in physically demanding jobs, or for those simply wanting peace of mind, Medicare offers certainty. My plan lowers the eligibility threshold to 55. That is a full decade sooner when Americans can gain access to high-quality, federally-administered healthcare, giving working people the opportunity for affordable preventative care earlier in life.
Indefinitely Extend Subsidies Unless Congress Acts to Repeal Them
In battles of attrition, the victor is definitionally whichever party can hold out the longest. American politics should never be a game of chicken, because regular people are always caught in the middle. If Congress is so eager to let billionaire tax breaks renew automatically, then why not do the same for a policy that actually helps people? My plan extends Enhanced Premium Tax Credits indefinitely, so that no one on the ACA Marketplace pays more than 8.5 percent of their income on health insurance.
These subsidies will continue by default on a two-year schedule unless Congress and the President vote to end them, following the same “pay raise rule” Congress uses for its own salaries. While Congress could repeal the subsidies, they’d have to actively decide to do so.
Introduce a Medicare Buy-in Plan to the ACA Marketplace for Americans under Age 55
Economists across the ideological spectrum understand that competition is critical for industries to offer better services at better prices. In a de facto monopoly industry like healthcare, making things competitive can be achieved through a federally-run buy-in plan as a benchmark. This public plan would be available on the existing Marketplace alongside private plans.
Incorporated into the existing Medicare programs, a Medicare Buy-in Plan will provide a transparent, affordable alternative for those who want basic, dependable coverage without corporate markups or profit-driven pricing. This is about expanding choice, not reducing it.
Pay for It Fairly With a Billionaire and Corporate Surcharge
Regular people should not get their healthcare ripped away from them while ultra-wealthy billionaires and corporations benefit from permanent tax breaks. To execute this plan (and any future healthcare reforms), we have to fund it responsibly by levying taxes on those who aren’t paying their fair share. My plan would impose a modest tax on billionaires and large corporations to help solidify and protect our healthcare system for future generations.
We should expect our most fortunate and successful citizens to contribute to the fortune and success of the nation as a whole, and the first steps in that direction are ensuring everyone has access to the healthcare they need.
Polling shows that when voters hear my background and my message, I lead Mike Rounds 42 to 39. That’s the second poll this year with that conclusion. Consider contributing to my campaign to help me beat Mike Rounds by putting people over parties. Thank you.
Why This Plan Matters Now More Than Ever
Honoring hard work, regardless of age: People do not stop working, contributing, or needing healthcare just because they turned 27 or haven’t yet turned 65. This plan recognizes that reality.
Stability in an Unstable Time: With healthcare politics constantly looming, families need assurance that their coverage won’t be compromised just because Washington has a disagreement. This plan gives that assurance.
Real Choice: Many Americans are stuck choosing between different overpriced private plans that they can’t be sure will serve their needs. This plan incentivizes the whole system to work better.
Putting America’s Health First: Healthcare is not a political battleground. It is a basic human right and necessity. If we believe in democracy and fairness, we must ensure access for all.
Accountability and Fairness: Instead of rewarding special interests, this plan asks those who can afford it to contribute while protecting everyday Americans from ruinous medical bills.
This plan isn’t a comprehensive, future-proof idea. It isn’t trying to be. What this plan is is a set of meaningful, achievable goals that would ensure Americans can afford their healthcare, clearing the way for those big, future-proof ideas.
If we can pay for trillions of dollars in tax breaks to billionaires and corporations, we can pay for better healthcare for Americans.
Healthcare is a right, not a privilege. I am tired of empty promises and political dysfunction, and I believe in fair, common-sense solutions. If you feel the same way, then I’m asking for your help: share this plan. Talk about it, demand that your representatives support one, two, or even all five of the plan’s changes. Demand that they do something about the problems that will affect you, your family, your neighbors, and your community.
My name is Brian Bengs. I am an Independent candidate for U.S. Senate. I believe in competition, freedom of choice, fiscal responsibility, and fairness, and I believe Americans can enjoy each of these benefits while having access to good, affordable healthcare. I believe in South Dakota and in America.
Let us build a healthcare system that gives everyone the chance to live healthy, secure, and hopeful. A foundation where we can rebuild the American Dream.
Thanks for reading.
Brian Bengs, Lt Col (Ret)
Independent Candidate for U.S. Senate
My opponent, Senator Mike Rounds, voted against extending ACA subsidies, hurting millions of Americans, including tens of thousands of his South Dakota constituents. Almost half of South Dakotans polled said it’s time for someone new to step in, and I agree. Consider supporting my Independent campaign for Senate to help me protect Americans' healthcare. Thank you.
Col Bengs, thank you for your effort. I want to correct parts of your approach to this.
We do not have “health care” in this country. We have an American medical industry. It commonly has little or nothing to do with anyone’s health. Its purpose is to move money from wherever it is to providers, other vendors, and insurance companies.
There are two most basic and central facts to remember: 1) we spend far more on the American medical industry than real countries spend on actual health care, and 2) our results are worse than almost all civilized countries. I’m setting aside the two things you address, which can be summarized as the unavailability of the medical industry to all Americans, and the fact that the commonest cause of personal bankruptcy in this country is now, and always has been, an inability to pay medical bills. Your suggestions provide more access, but to what? A system that costs too much and provides too little? If we solve 1) and 2), and increase taxes (on the rich), as you say, we will have solved the problems you address.
I think I gave you my contact information. If I didn’t, and you’re interested, let me know. I’ve been a medical doctor for about 48 years, and I have a pretty good “finger on the pulse” of the ways this system doesn’t work. It is badly dysfunctional, in important part because it is driven by greed, and it is influenced by corruption.
The medicare buy-in is a great idea.