Debate: Biden says he'd create 'Bidencare' if Supreme Court strikes down Affordable Care Act
WASHINGTON - Former Vice President Joe Biden cast aside attacks from President Donald Trump over what health care could look like under a Democratic president, saying his plan to replace the Affordable Care Act, should it be dismantled, would be dubbed "Bidencare."
Both Trump and Biden were asked how they would replace health insurance for 20 million people if the Supreme Court strikes down the Affordable Care Act, which could happen if his Supreme Court nominee, Amy Coney Barrett, gets confirmed and votes to kill the law. Barrett is set to take her place as the ninth justice as early as next week.
The Supreme Court will consider the law Nov. 10 – just days after the election. Texas and other states led by Republicans, along with the Trump administration, are trying to eliminate the law because Congress in 2017 eliminated the tax that enforces its health insurance mandate. The high court is unlikely to strike down the entire law, but Trump made clear that is his goal.
“It’s in court because Obamacare is no good,” he said. “No matter how well you run it, it’s no good. What we’d like to do is terminate it.”
Trump said he'd come up with a new plan, though his administration has yet to release any proposal to replace the law that provides health care for millions of Americans.
He claimed Biden would halt private insurance for many Americans and create "socialized medicine."
Biden shot back, saying that if the high court strikes down the Affordable Care Act, it would be replaced with "Bidencare"
"What I’m going to do is pass Obamacare with a public option, it becomes Bidencare," Biden explained. He said Americans would continue to have the ability to have private insurance, saying his plan would provide "competition for insurance companies."
Health care is a top issue for voters ahead of the election. The issue is credited with helping Democrats in 2018 take control of the House and has been a major focus by liberals over recent weeks due to the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the Supreme Court.
Her replacement by Barrett would allow the high court to have a 6-3 conservative majority, raising concerns by liberals that Republicans have a higher chance of dismantling the Affordable Care Act and leaving millions of Americans without insurance in the midst of a pandemic.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Debate 2020: Bidencare health care plan to replace ACA if struck down
