Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont has unveiled a revamped version of his "Medicare for All" plan, shaking up the 2020 presidential race by renewing his call for replacing job-based and private health insurance with a government plan that guarantees coverage for all.
"It is not a radical idea to say that in the United States, every American who goes to a doctor should be able to afford the prescription drug he or she needs," Sanders said on Wednesday.
The latest edition of his Medicare for All adds coverage for long-term care in home and community settings, on top of its basic promise of comprehensive health coverage with no premiums, deductibles or copays. As with previous versions, Sanders did not include detailed proposals on how to pay for the plan.
"Health care is a human right, not a privilege," he declared.
Four of Sanders' fellow senators and rivals for the Democratic nomination have signed onto the updated single-payer health care proposal. The bill's reintroduction promises to shine a light on Democrats' disparate visions for the long-term future of American health care.
Indeed, a co-sponsor of the previous version dropped off this time. New Hampshire Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen said in a statement "there are faster ways to reach universal coverage by building on the progress we've made through the Affordable Care Act."
Warren pointed to "a lot of different pathways" to universal coverage during a CNN town hall last month: "What we're all looking for is the lowest cost way to make sure that everybody gets covered."
Trump has said he'll take up health care after next year's election , essentially making it a central campaign issue. And his administration is arguing in court for the full eradication of the Affordable Cart Act, former President Barack Obama's signature health care law, often called "Obamacare."
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., warned in a Tuesday floor speech that the cost of Sanders' proposal "is so steep that even left-leaning analysts are quietly admitting that the tax burden is virtually certain to land on the shoulders of the middle class."