“I understand the appeal of Medicare for all but folks supporting it should be clear that it means getting rid of Obamacare,” Biden said.
At the center of his plan: building on the Obama administration’s signature health care initiative the Affordable Care Act.
Biden’s proposal creates a public option allowing people to buy into a Medicare-like program. The plan also provides massive subsidies to make coverage through Obamacare cheaper for everyone, regardless of income. The campaign estimates a family of four making $110,000 would save roughly $750 a month in premiums. The ten-year price tag for this plan coming in at $750 billion.
As many Democratic voters cite health care as a top issue, Biden has escalated his pushback on some of his rivals backing a single payer government system. “We should not be starting from scratch,” he said. “We should be building from what we have.”
The former vice president further highlighted where he differs from Kamala Harris and Bernie Sanders at the recent debate. “The question was asked whether we support eliminating private health insurance. Some said yes, I said absolutely not.”
A recent CNN poll found 85% of Democrats favor a national health insurance plan, only 30% back scrapping private insurance.
While Biden brands himself as the protector of Obamacare, Sanders is defending his Medicare for all plan, tweeting, “I appreciate that President Obama has said recently that Medicare for all is a good idea,” He referenced this comment from Obama made in September of last year: “Democrats aren’t just running on good old ideas like a higher minimum wage, they’re running on good new ideas, like Medicare for all.”
Despite improving poll numbers for some of his rivals, most polls show Biden still holds a sizable lead over other Democratic candidates.
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