Biden's slow creep toward 'Medicare for all'

President Biden has said he doesn’t support “Medicare for all,” citing the program’s high price tag of $32 trillion. But by reopening Affordable Care Act enrollment on Feb. 15, boosting ACA subsidies (potentially in the next coronavirus package), and calling for a so-called “public option,” Biden essentially supports moving the United States to single-payer healthcare on an incremental installment plan.

How? There’s a key metric that too few policy wonks and political commentators watch: the number of Americans who depend on the government to pay for their healthcare. With more than 61 million seniors in Medicare and more than 77 million low-income people in Medicaid, these two behemoth programs cover approximately 44% of all Americans.