How would lowering the Medicare age save the system money?

[democrattotheend]

21. I wish I weren't

I want to find a viable way to expand Medicare to those 55 and up without bankrupting it, because I think from a policy perspective it is worth doing. I don't think it would really save the system money but it could be done in a way that is revenue neutral, although it would not necessarily be the best option for everyone in that case.

I did have a couple alternative ideas:
- Letting people use the subsidies they would get to buy insurance on the exchange to buy into Medicare (at the unsubsidized rate) if they prefer. That would not cost extra for Medicare because the subsidies have already been budgeted
- Letting employers subsidize Medicare buy-in for employees over 55 if they do not provide group coverage in lieu of paying a fine
- Raising payroll taxes for everyone and having Medicare start at 55 and serve as primary coverage for those who have it while working. Younger people would pay more without getting immediate benefits, but they might see higher wages or lower premiums if their employer saved money on health insurance. Since the ACA, Medicare and Social Security are already structured as a subsidy from young to old, I would want to see numbers on this before I could really support it
- Having a graduated eligibility age for Medicare as with Social Security, where people could start getting Medicare at 62 but would pay a higher premium for Plan B or a higher cost-sharing percentage for the life of their participation or for a certain number of years. I know this would be a hardship for some people but it would at least enable people who lose their jobs to get necessary care earlier, and fewer people would die waiting for Medicare. It's not as progressive as some of the other proposals but it might be more politically palatable, and paying a slightly higher premium over a number of years might be easier than paying $600 per month between ages 62 and 65. It would be like a financing plan for early Medicare, except without the exorbitant interest rates that lenders charge.
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