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Bloomberg health plan aims to lower costs, cover more people

Democratic Presidential candidate and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg gestures while taking part in an on-stage conversation with former California Gov. Jerry Brown at the American Geophysical Union fall meeting Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2019, in San Francisco. Bloomberg made his first visit to California as a Democratic presidential candidate, appearing earlier with the mayor of Stockton who's championed universal basic income. Bloomberg and Brown talked about America's Pledge, bringing together leaders to ensure the U.S. remains a global leader in reducing emissions and delivering the goals of the Paris Agreement. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)
Democratic Presidential candidate and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg gestures while taking part in an on-stage conversation with former California Gov. Jerry Brown at the American Geophysical Union fall meeting Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2019, in San Francisco. Bloomberg made his first visit to California as a Democratic presidential candidate, appearing earlier with the mayor of Stockton who's championed universal basic income. Bloomberg and Brown talked about America's Pledge, bringing together leaders to ensure the U.S. remains a global leader in reducing emissions and delivering the goals of the Paris Agreement. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg) Democratic Presidential candidate and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg gestures while taking part in an on-stage conversation with former California Gov. Jerry Brown at the American Geophysical Union fall meeting Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2019, in San Francisco. Bloomberg made his first visit to California as a Democratic presidential candidate, appearing earlier with the mayor of Stockton who's championed universal basic income. Bloomberg and Brown talked about America's Pledge, bringing together leaders to ensure the U.S. remains a global leader in reducing emissions and delivering the goals of the Paris Agreement. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)

By RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR / The Associated Press 4 min read

WASHINGTON – Putting his stamp on the top issue for Democratic voters, Michael Bloomberg on Thursday unveiled a health care plan that would expand coverage and cut people’s costs by building on the current system, not replacing it.

The former New York mayor and Democratic presidential candidate embraced a new government-run “public option” to compete with private insurance and called for Medicare to negotiate drug prices, using an approach similar to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s recent legislation.

“It’s in the Biden-Buttigieg world rather than Sanders-Warren,” said John Holahan, a health policy expert with the nonpartisan Urban Institute think tank. Holahan reviewed an outline of the plan provided by the Bloomberg campaign.

On health care, leading 2020 Democrats are divided between the step-by-step strategy favored by moderates like former Vice President Joe Biden and South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg and the “Medicare for All” plan envisioned by Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and seconded by progressives wanting a single, government-run system for all Americans. Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren has that as her ultimate goal.

Bloomberg announced his plan during a speech in Memphis. The state of Tennessee is one of 14 that has not expanded Medicaid for low-income people under the Obama-era Affordable Care Act, or ACA. Tennessee copes with a high burden of chronic illness and ranked 44th this year in an annual state-by-state report card from the nonprofit United Health Foundation.