The federal government would provide a new insurance option -- a public plan that middle-income workers could join -- as well as boost funding for a program that insures children in low-income working families.
Washington would work with the states to set up insurance purchasing pools through which individuals and employers could buy private plans that agree to operate under new pricing and coverage rules.
Critics fault the Democratic plans over the increased role for government -- and also their cost.
Clinton's plan would cost $110 billion a year, Obama's between $50 billion and $65 billion. And critics say the Democrats may be lowballing their cost estimates and lack a viable long-term financial base.
"They sort of see a traditional model continuing, even though, in my view, it's a broken model," said Stuart Butler, a prominent health policy expert with the conservative Heritage Foundation.
In any event, Butler said, whoever is elected in November will have to move carefully.
"Americans have shown over and over again that they are nervous about big changes in healthcare," he said. "They want it to be gradual."
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ricardo.alonso-zaldivar@latimes.com
