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Biden Proposes Public Option For Affordable Care Act

Charlie Neibergall
/
AP
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden discussed his proposal at a candidates' forum hosted by AARP Iowa and the Des Moines Register.

Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden unveiled a health care plan Monday that would add a public option to the Affordable Care Act.  The former vice president talked about the plan at a Des Moines forum hosted by AARP Iowa and the Des Moines Register. Biden has differed from many of his opponents in not calling for a “Medicare for All” plan.

“The transition of dropping 300 million people on a new plan, totally new, I think is a little risky at this point,” he said.

Biden says he would pay for the expanded coverage by raising taxes on the wealthiest Americans. It would offer a Medicare-like plan that people could buy on Affordable Care Act exchanges.

That’s similar to a plan Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar has put forward.

“Instead of moving on these issues that this president is just immersed back in trying to re-litigate the Affordable Care Act over and over, I don’t think we should re-litigate it,” she said at Monday’s forum.  “I think we need to make it better and then move on working on long-term care and helping our seniors.”

Senators Cory Booker of New Jersey and former Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper also spoke at the event at Drake University. Other candidates will take part in the forums focused healthcare and senior issues later this week in Davenport, Cedar Rapids, Sioux City and Council Bluffs.

Clay Masters is the senior politics reporter for MPR News.