Joe Biden aggressively defends Obamacare

Joe Biden is taking an aggressive approach to defending Obamacare, challenging t just President Donald Trump but also some of his rivals for Democratic presidential mination who want to replace current insurance system with a fully government-run model.

former vice president will spend much of coming week talking about his approach to health care, including remarks he'll deliver on Monday in Iowa at a presidential forum sponsored by AARP. His almost singular focus on 2010 health care law has been on display recently in early voting states.

In Iowa, he declared himself "against any Republican (and) any Democrat who wants to scrap" Obamacare. Later in New Hampshire, he said "we should t be scrapping Obamacare, we should be building on it," a reference to his approach to d a government insurance plan kwn as public option to existing exchanges that sell private insurance.

Biden is hoping his positioning as Obamacare's chief defender could be helpful on several fronts. It's a reminder of his close work alongside President Barack Obama, who remains popular among Democratic voters. And it could reinforce his pitch as a sensible centrist promising to rise above strident cacophony of Trump and Democrats including Sens. Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren and Kamala Harris, all single-payer vocates.

Perhaps as important, it's an opportunity for Biden to go on offense ahe of next presidential debate at end of July.

Biden has spent past several weeks on defense, reversing his position on taxpayer funding for abortions and highlighting his past work with segregationist senators. Harris slammed him during first debate, blasting segregationist comment and criticizing his opposition to federal busing orders to desegregate public schools during same era.

Each of episodes raised questions about wher Biden can maintain his front-runner status.

In New Hampshire over weekend, it was clear Biden wanted to turn tables as he touted idea of a "Medicare-like" plan that any American could buy as opposed to a "Medicare-for-all" that would be imposed on everyone.

"I think one of most significant things we've done in our ministration is pass Affordable Care Act," Biden said. "I don't kw why we'd get rid of what in fact was working and move to something totally new. And so, re are differences." He argued that some of his opponents, with exception of Sanders, aren't fairly representing consequences of ir proposals.

"Bernie's been very honest about it," Biden said. "He said you're going to have to raise taxes on middle class. He said it's going to end all private insurance. I mean, he's been straightforward about it. And he's making his case."

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Asked specifically wher Harris has been honest about how her plan would affect private insurance, Biden said, "I'll let you guys make that judgment." During last month's debates, Harris, Warren and Sanders raised ir hands when candidates were asked as a group wher y supported eliminating private insurance.

A day later, Harris, a Senate co-sponsor of Sanders' single-payer bill, reversed her answer second time since her campaign launch that she'd walked back her seeming endorsement of eliminating private insurance.

She explained that she interpreted debate moderator's question as asking wher she'd be willing to give up her existing cover as part of a single-payer model. She said she wants private policies to remain "supplemental" options for consumers.

Sanders, meanwhile, hit back at Biden, clarifying that his plan would be a net financial benefit for most households: ir federal taxes would go up, but ir private insurance premiums, deductibles and co-pays would be eliminated.

"At a time when Donald Trump and health insurance industry are lying every day about 'Medicare for All,' I would hope that my fellow Democrats would t resort to misinformation about my legislation," Sanders said in a statement responding to Biden's New Hampshire comments.

Biden hasn't yet introduced his full health care plan, but has said it will be anchored by a "Medicare-like" plan that would be available to anyone including 150 million-plus Americans w covered by job-based insurance, a group w ineligible for exchange-based policies. Biden has indicated that income-based subsidies would ensure that any household could get cover.

idea is to expand cover immediately and shake up insurance markets long-term by forcing private insurers to compete alongside government, oretically pressuring to lower ir premiums and out-of-pocket costs for private policy holders.

Biden isn't only public-option vocate running for president.

Former Coloro Gov. John Hickenlooper warns that Republicans will brand single-payer as "socialism," hurting Democrats in general election. Coloro Sen. Michael Bennet echoes Biden's argument with a call to "finish work we started with Obamacare." Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar touts a public option as next logical move even for single-payer vocates.

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