Thread by @larry_levitt

Ahead of President Biden's speech, I'll repeat myself:

Health reform always gets harder and more controversial when the details get filled in and the trade-offs and losers, not just the winners, become clearer.

President Biden's American Families Plan will include a permanent expansion of ACA premium help.

He is reiterating support for, but not filling in the details of, campaign proposals to expand Medicare, create a public option, negotiate drug prices, and close the Medicaid "gap."

Here's a link to a White House fact sheet describing President Biden's American Families Plan, with mention of other elements of his health care plan.

whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/…

There was a time when building on the ACA was controversial, even among Democrats.

Now, that's the "easy" part of health reform, after many have benefited from coverage expansion, premium help, and pre-existing conditions protections, which Republicans tried to repeal.

Here's one way of thinking about today's proposals from President Biden:

He supports tax increases on the wealthy to pay for more premium help under the ACA.

He also supports government negotiation of drug prices, using the savings to expand Medicare and close the Medicaid gap.