public option

Washington is the first state to introduce a public option for health insurance, but it has been difficult to get hospitals on board. Other states with public options in the works are taking notice.

Democrats control the new Congress by such a slim margin that passing health laws will be daunting. Instead Biden may have to use executive authority to advance his health care vision.

The Trump administration has been marked by a scaled-back federal investment and involvement in U.S. health care. Biden's team has plans to change that — even if Republicans retain Senate control.

Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden proposes letting 60-year-olds enroll in Medicare. He'd pay for the expansion out of general tax revenue, he says, not the Medicare fund.

Even in a solidly blue state where voters were demanding relief from the high cost of health care, the idea of a government-run public option for health insurance faced a "steam train of opposition."

Democratic presidential candidates and the pundits who discuss them throw out a lot of terms describing plans for a new and improved health care system. But what do they all mean?

Fans of "Medicare for All" are betting that most Democrats who vote have moved left since 2008, at least on health care. But results from a mix of recent polls suggest voters' views aren't clear-cut.

Washington passed a law this week to create a new kind of public health insurance. It could inspire other states to try such a plan, but consumers might be in for a reality check.

The candidates diverge sharply on Obamacare but both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump see opportunities to improve health care through the tax code.