Democratic primary hopeful and former vice president Joe Biden last week introduced his health care plan, an expansion of the Affordable Care Act. It’s already the subject of much debate, but it has served one important purpose — reminding us that Medicare for All isn’t the only way to get to universal health coverage. 
 
In an op-ed in the Los Angeles Times, the Commonwealth Fund’s David Blumenthal, M.D., and Sara Collins examine approaches other countries use to insure all their citizens while spending far less on health care per person than we do in the U.S. They point to successful strategies used abroad and in some states like California; for instance, requiring that all private health insurance plans offer a standard benefit to reduce inefficiencies or limiting what people have to pay by capping out-of-pocket costs at a percentage of income.
 
As the 2020 health care debate continues, the authors point out that universal coverage can be achieved through a mix of approaches — as it has been in other countries — and does not necessarily require having a single public plan.