Feb 26, 2020 - Health

Democratic health care debate topics finally expand past Medicare for All

Caitlin Owens

2020 Democratic debate stage in South Carolina — Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images

Democrats finally debated health care subjects other than Medicare for All on Tuesday night.

Why it matters: We have a much wider range of health care problems than political debates usually suggest. Discussing rural Americans' lack of access to health care may not be as exciting as debating whether to do away with private insurance, but it's a subject that many voters struggle with every day.

And as the coronavirus is revealing, administrations don't always get to control what dominates their agenda.

What happened: The candidates were asked how they'd handle issues like rural health care and the coronavirus.

Amy Klobuchar talked about building up the health care workforce in rural areas, while Bernie Sanders talked up his role in increasing funding for community health centers through the Affordable Care Act.
Joe Biden talked about his experience dealing with Ebola and criticized Trump for cutting funding for the CDC.

Go deeper: Health care's imminent existential crises

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Democratic health care debate topics finally expand past Medicare for All

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