Medicare for 60-year-olds not guaranteed to be a better deal

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden and progressive Democrats have proposed to lower Medicare’s eligibility age to 60, to help older adults get affordable coverage. But a new study finds that Medicare can be more expensive than other available options, particularly for many people of modest means. There’s two reasons: Traditional Medicare has coverage gaps that most people fill by purchasing supplemental plans, meaning added premiums. And premiums for the Obama-era Affordable Care Act have come way down recently due to Biden’s COVID relief bill. That’s made the ACA more attractive. Simply expanding Medicare eligibility does not guarantee premium affordability, concluded the study by Avalere Health for The Associated Press.