Free primary care for all: Democratic think tank pushes the party on new health policy

As Democrats look for a viable healthcare message ahead of the midterm elections, one well-connected think tank is pushing the party to embrace a new idea: free primary care for all Americans

As Democrats look for a viable healthcare message ahead of the midterm elections, one well-connected think tank is pushing the party to embrace a new idea: free primary care for all Americans.

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Searchlight Institute senior fellow David Bowen, a former Senate aide who helped craft the Affordable Care Act, said it would be delivered either through that law’s marketplaces, expanding on the preventive services mandate, or through a new “public option” that the group is calling the “American Health Gateway.”

“We know very, very well that getting people better primary care is a conduit to better overall health,” said Bowen, who led the policy report, which was first shared with NBC News. “It’s conduit to savings, and we want to make sure that people are not dissuaded by cost from doing that. We also provide a new way of expanding people’s coverage to recognize the reality of families today.”