The country is scarred and in no mood for an extended debate over M4A after Biden takes office in 2021. The pandemic and ensuing spike in unemployment has shown, however, that Americans need a viable alternative to employer-based insurance. The Biden budget consequently includes very large sums of money for public health and for more generous Obamacare subsidies. A watered-down version of the public option is also approved.
Unit price reduction, the other part of the health care equation, is impossible in light of the heroic efforts of the health care industry during the pandemic. Biden sees that quickly and doesn’t even try. The albatross of health care costs consequently gets even worse, but at least we have reached something close to universal care.