Biden unveils health plan, sharpening fight among Democrats

Joe Biden unveiled a proposal Monday to expand the Affordable Care Act with an optional public health insurance program, escalating a fierce debate with his Democratic rivals who favor a more sweeping Medicare-for-all system.Biden’s plan, which campaign officials estimate would cost $750 billion over 10 years, would also expand tax credits to pay for health premiums, and it would create a new coverage option to help people living in states that have resisted the ACA’s expansion of Medicaid.The plan, which formalized ideas Biden has campaigned on for months, sharpens one of the biggest dividing lines in the Democratic presidential primary. Among other things, he hopes to turn the page on a series of controversies — most notably his comments praising his past work with segregationists, which he recently said he regretted.At the heart of Biden’s health-care plan, which senior campaign officials said would cover more than 97 percent of Americans, is a proposal to let people choose a government-run health system like Medicare if they aren’t happy with private insurance.