Biden Unveils Health Care Plan: Affordable Care Act 2.0

Democratic Leader Joe Biden Will Unveil Today a Health Plan to Preserve Obamacare's Most Popular Portions – From Medicaid Expansion to Protections for Patients with Pre-Existing Conditions – and Strengthen with a New Treatment Option public insurance administered by the government.

Biden would also allow Medicare to directly negotiate the price of drugs, authorize the importation of prescription drugs from overseas and extend tax credits to help tens of millions of dollars. Americans to buy health insurance at a better price.

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The plan – which will cost $ 750 billion over ten years to pay by canceling some of the Trump administration's tax cuts – is less transformative than the "Medicare for All" proposal tabled by Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt. and supported by some other Democrats, who would effectively eliminate private insurance and force all Americans to government-run health care.

"I understand the call for Medicare for All," Biden said in a video posted this morning. "But the people who support him should clearly understand that it means getting rid of Obamacare, and I'm not for that."

Progressives have argued that Democratic candidates should aim for Medicare for all, as it prevents the party from starting with – and settling – a more progressive compromise. Democrats and former President Barack Obama had already supported a public option that could compete with private health plans before abandoning it as part of negotiations around the Affordable Care Act.

During a phone conversation with reporters Sunday, campaign staff pointed out that Biden would not be content with a diluted compromise as president and that his plan would help 97% of Americans benefit of a sickness cover. Nearly 5 million Americans residing in states that have not developed Medicaid would, for example, benefit from free access to Biden's new public option.

"We start with the Affordable Care Act as a basis and will focus on the things we were looking for last time," said a senior Biden campaigner. "And we'll get them this time."

The Biden administration would also allow all buyers in the individual insurance market to qualify for tax credits, which are currently capped at 400% of the federal poverty line.

S addressing reporters, campaign staff criticized the Trump administration's efforts to have ACA overturned in court and also discussed Biden's differences with rival candidates. Biden Friday hinted that there would be "a break of six months, a year, two, three" that would put patients at risk if the Democrats pursued Medicare for All, a claim that Sanders quickly attacked as a " misinformation".

In response to POLITICO's questions, Mr Biden's campaign stated that the former Vice-President insisted on the need for immediate action.

"We can not afford the years to write and maybe succeed at Medicare for All," wrote a spokesperson in an email. "A judgment in progress is unacceptable. That's why Biden's plan is based on Obamacare and aims to achieve universal coverage as soon as possible. "

Health policy experts said Biden's coverage plan seemed more politically feasible than Sanders' proposal.

"Supporting the ACA is the fastest way to ensure a greater number of people and improve affordability, without engaging any powerful group in the industry." or disrupt the coverage of those who already have it, "said Larry Levitt, executive vice president of health policy at the Kaiser Family Foundation. But incremental improvements to the ACA would leave "an inefficient and costly health system in place," added Levitt, thus preserving the high prices and high deductibles for the roughly 160 million Americans benefiting from Sickness cover by the employer.

Biden will also announce new ideas to fight high drug prices in the country. Highlighting the lessons learned from his flagship cancer initiative, the former vice-president asked the Ministry of Health and Social Services to create an independent review committee that will link the price of new specialty drugs to the average price in other countries. His plan also advocates limiting most drug price increases to the inflation rate.

Meanwhile, Biden would seek to expand access to abortion and contraception, reiterating his recent calls – like those of other Democratic candidates – to devote Roe v. Wade in federal law and restore federal funding for family planning.

Biden's plan also targets healthcare providers, suggesting that it will attempt to tackle issues such as high and unexpected medical bills and the concentration of the healthcare market, although the details revealed by the campaign are rare. Biden would also double investments in community health centers, saying they help reach underserved populations.