Not since the Bernie Sanders presidential runs five and ten years ago has “Medicare for All” had so much attention on the national stage.

With multiple candidates winning primaries on a platform including this pledge, we gathered some evidence to demonstrate what costs could come with a dramatic scaling of the public health care program.

Splitting a Big Bill

In 2025, Medicare spent $1.2 trillion, or $18,894 per beneficiary.

Multiplied by the 342.85 million U.S. citizens, that would be an annual cost of $6.5 trillion, or an increase of over $5 trillion. That’s likely a significant overestimate - it would cost far less than $18,894 to cover most young people, since seniors require more healthcare.

Previous estimates from George Mason University and the Urban Institute predicted federal spending would increase $3-3.5 trillion under “Medicare for All.” That still brings the total potential spending to more like $4.2 to $4.7 trillion, a staggering figure.

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