How Do Democratic Presidential Candidates Compare On Healthcare? A Look At Biden, Warren, Sanders And Mayor Pete's Plans

Healthcare is one of the major points of debate in the 2020 election. While likely Republican nominee President Trump will no doubt describe Democratic presidential candidates as socialists for their healthcare plans, the Democratic frontrunners all have varying plans and thoughts on the issue.

Here's a look at how the top Democratic candidates compare and contrast on the topic.

Joe Biden

Former Vice President Joe Biden hopes to expand on the legacy of Obama's Affordable Care Act (ACA) as well as provide tax credits for working Americans to purchase health insurance plans. He hopes to protect the ACA legislation from Republicans who have tried to repeal it and has criticized Trump's efforts to "sabotage" the ACA. Under Biden's healthcare plan, Americans would be able to buy optional public healthcare insurance, similar to Medicare for the elderly.

Biden does not want to eliminate private health insurance and his plan is similar to Hillary Clinton's in 2016. Biden wants to prevent anyone from paying more than 8.5% of their income toward health insurance premiums.

Elizabeth Warren

The Massachusetts senator unveiled her universal "Medicare for All" plan last week, pledging to not raise middle-class taxes to pay for the reform. The healthcare plan is projected to cost "just under" $52 trillion, which includes $20.5 trillion in spending over 10 years, with employers paying into the system and new taxes on corporations and financial transactions. The Warren plan requires employers to pay $8.8 trillion in taxes over a decade that they currently spend on their employees’ health care.

Her plan would essentially render private insurance obsolete.

Pete Buttigieg

The may of South Bend, Indiana, has dubbed his plan "Medicare for all who want it." Like Biden's plan, he would not try to eliminate the private healthcare insurance industry, but rather provide a public healthcare alternative for Americans to freely opt into.

Buttigieg claims his plan will cost $1.5 trillion over the next 10 years, and will mostly be paid for by rolling back Trump's corporate tax cuts.

Bernie Sanders

The Vermont senator also believes in a "Medicare for All" plan, inspired by the health insurance systems of Norway and Denmark. His proposed single-payer system would mean Americans would no longer spend any money on co-payments or going to the emergency room. The four-year rollout plan would also offer long-term care benefits for Americans with disabilities.

Sanders would eliminate private health insurance entirely.