Krugman: Health Reform Realities

[Nanjeanne]

17. Did I miss something?

Did Hillary call for a Public Option in her plan for healthcare? On her site I see she is going to:

Defend Affordable Care Act (last I looked it didn't have a public option in it)
Build on it to expand affordable coverage (no details on how she will achieve this)
Slow growth of overall health care costs including prescriptions drugs (how?)
Make it possible for providers to deliver the very best care to patients (I think we all want that!)

Lower out of pocket costs like copays and deductibles (she tells us how deductibles have risen but she doesn't say what she would do about it)

Reduce cost of prescription drugs. (I know she tweeted she would put a cap on prescriptions drugs but I haven't seen any details about this. Her website says "Hillary believes we need to demand lower drug costs for hardworking families and seniors." OK - I demand lower drug costs. Did it work?)

Transform our health care system to reward value and quality. (I'm not exactly sure what this means but I'm all for quality when it comes to healthcare!)

I haven't found anything in detail on her website and when I google Hillary Clinton Healthcare Plan - I just get articles. Would love to see her complete plan.

So - in terms of what Krugman is saying, based on what I can find - it sounds like with Sanders pushing for Medicare 4 All - bringing back the public option into the ACA would be more likely in a Sanders administration and I see no evidence that Clinton would be pushing for this in anything she has said. I don't really think I've ever heard words like "I will fight to bring back the Public Option to improve the ACA". Sorry Paul - Hillary isn't right about it based on anything she has said.