How Tom Steyer would secure universal health care coverage

[brooklynite]

Politico

Billionaire Tom Steyer's health care plan plants him among the centrists in the 2020 Democratic primary. He promises to expand access to health care through more Obamacare funding and a public option, while still envisioning a large role for private insurers — in contrast to the "Medicare for All" plans proposed by rivals like Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren.

Steyer's plan for a public option is a little different from other candidates. He envisions it as a new program where the federal government would negotiate payment rates for providers and hospitals. It would operate separately, but similarly to, traditional Medicare and Medicaid.

Medical providers would have to participate in the public option or lose their contracts with Medicare or Medicaid. The rates would be set like Medicare, with some flexibility to accommodate differences in regional costs — especially for rural areas.
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Steyer also wants the government to negotiate prices with drug companies and would extend those prices to the private insurance market.

[Hoyt]

1. Not a supporter otherwise, but that might be doable. Not perfect, but better than

what we have, or I, and a lot of others, can foresee anytime soon.

[CTyankee]

2. I kinda like Steyer. He can be useful.