Four moderate House Republicans have broken ranks with Speaker Mike Johnson by supporting a Democratic petition to extend health care subsidies set to expire at the end of the year.

Americans are feeling the strain already with less than three weeks to go until the expiration of COVID-era tax credits that have helped many people pay for health insurance through the Affordable Care Act.

Hopes for solving a major health insurance issue are fading in Washington.

Initial new federal data shows the number of Americans signing up for Affordable Care Act health insurance for 2026 is moderately higher than it was at a similar time last year.

A new survey of Affordable Care Act health insurance enrollees finds that many are already struggling with the high cost of health care.

The White House is circulating a proposal to extend Affordable Care Act subsidies for two more years.

As leaders in Washington debate the best way to provide relief to rising Affordable Care Act insurance premiums, Indivisible Lynchburg held a protest today against federal cuts.

President Donald Trump is once more targeting former President Barack Obama’s signature health care law, and Trump is picking a political fight before next year’s elections.

A legislative package that could end the weekslong government shutdown leaves out any clear resolution on the expiring Affordable Care Act tax credits that have made private health insurance less costly for millions.

The Trump administration is indicating in court that it will only partially fund the federal food assistance program as the government shutdown reaches into a second month.

Notices of rising health insurance premiums are landing in voters’ mailboxes and sending some to town halls to vent their frustration.

To hear party leaders talk, the seventh day of the government shutdown sounded a lot like the first.

New estimates from the Congressional Budget Office show 10 million more Americans will be without health care coverage in the next 10 years after the passage of President Trump’s budget reconciliation legislation, known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, approved by Congress earlier this month.

New Trump administration rules that give millions of people less time to sign up for the Affordable Care Act’s coverage, and bar some immigrants from buying the health care coverage, are facing a legal challenge from Democratic mayors.

House Republicans have unveiled the cost-saving centerpiece of President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill.”.

The Supreme Court agreed Friday to consider some reinstating preventative care coverage requirements under the Affordable Care Act that were struck down by a lower court.

A record 24 million people have signed up for insurance coverage through the Affordable Care Act, former President Barack Obama’s landmark health legislation, as the program awaits an uncertain future under a Republican-controlled White House and Congress.

Americans can start signing up Friday for health care coverage offered through the Affordable Care Act marketplace for 2025.

Fifteen states have sued the Biden administration over a rule that is expected to allow 100,000 immigrants brought to the U.S. illegally as children to enroll next year in the federal Affordable Care Act’s health insurance.

Federal law that prohibits insurers from denying healthcare based on preexisting conditions, or kicking dependents off their parent’s coverage until age 26 is now codified separately into Michigan law.

The government can keep enforcing “Obamacare” requirements that say health insurance plans must cover preventative care, amid a legal battle over the mandates.

A federal judge’s ruling striking down a key part of the Affordable Care Act has been temporarily put on hold by a federal appeals court in New Orleans.

A federal judge in Texas who previously ruled to dismantle the Affordable Care Act struck down a narrower but key part of the nation’s health law.

President Biden is slated to host an anniversary event for the Affordable Care Act at 1 p.m.

The government says a record 16.3 million people sought health insurance through the Affordable Care Act this year.

Former President Barack Obama is headed to Georgia, Michigan and Wisconsin in the closing days of the 2022 campaign to give a boost to Democrats running for governor, senator and on down the ballot.

More families who are offered expensive health insurance premiums from their employers will get a discount if they sign up instead for coverage through the Affordable Care Act marketplace this fall.

A federal judge in Texas has ruled that required coverage of an HIV prevention drug under the Affordable Care Act violates a Texas employer’s religious beliefs and undercut the broader system that determines which preventive drugs are covered in the U.S. The ruling was handed down Wednesday by Fort Worth-based U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor, who ruled in 2018 that the entire ACA is invalid.

The President will address "thousands of national, state and local building trades leaders from across the country" at the North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU) Legislative Conference at the Washington Hilton

Former President Barack Obama has returned to the White House — for a few hours, to celebrate the 12th anniversary of his signature health care law.

People looking for health insurance in the grip of the omicron surge have through Saturday to sign up for taxpayer-subsidized private coverage under the Obama-era Affordable Care Act.

Patient advocates and some state governments say hospitals must do more to help patients deal with medical bills before the debt winds up in collections.

The Supreme Court has dismissed a third major challenge to “Obamacare," preserving health insurance coverage for millions of Americans.

President Joe Biden says 1 million Americans have signed up for health insurance under “Obamacare” during a special enrollment period for people needing coverage during the coronavirus pandemic.

“What we’re going to do this time is let people know exactly what they’ve got,” House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn told The Associated Press in a recent interview. In Clyburn’s home state of South Carolina, that means more than $2 billion for state government coffers to be allocated by state legislators. “That’s where we made the big mistake with” both 2010 relief packages, Clyburn said. Under the plan, Badger will receive a $4,200 direct payment and a $6,600 child tax credit, as well as an increase in food assistance vouchers. Ad“It’s going to help take care of some bills,” Badger said.

I haven’t done any counting yet.”On health care, the numbers suggest that consumers' fears about medical costs could be eased by the new rescue package. States that run their own health insurance markets will offer the same enhanced assistance, although timetables for implementation may vary. Biden has opened up the health insurance markets as part of his coronavirus response. The higher health care subsidies are keyed to the pandemic and expire by the end of 2022. But it represents the biggest expansion of federal help for health insurance since the ACA's enactment.

AdBecause health insurance is so complicated, consumers are going to have to do their homework to figure out if there's something in the bill for them. And health care benefits are not like stimulus checks that can be blasted out. Her organization advocates on behalf of low-income people and was an early supporter of the health care law. AdThe bill would change the formulas for health insurance tax credits to make them more generous for most people, and also allow a wider number of individuals to qualify. Republicans cite the health insurance provisions as an example of coronavirus overreach by Democrats.

AdBecause health insurance is so complicated, consumers are going to have to do their homework to figure out if there's something in the bill for them. And health care benefits are not like stimulus checks that can be blasted out. Her organization advocates on behalf of low-income people and was an early supporter of the health care law. AdThe bill would change the formulas for health insurance tax credits to make them more generous for most people, and also allow a wider number of individuals to qualify. Republicans cite the health insurance provisions as an example of coronavirus overreach by Democrats.

LYNCHBURG, Va. – President Joe Biden signed an executive order to reopen some affordable care options. It’s a move backed by Centra’s acting president. Richard Tugman said the move will give increased access to health care for millions of Americans and it’s an important step to reduce the economic and health care burden many families are facing right now. Neil Heller, chief marketing officer for Piedmont Community Health Plan, said that people need the care now more than ever, “With the pandemic, it just adds more urgency and through the open enrollment, folks that didn’t buy insurance when they had the opportunity have another chance to do that.”Piedmont also pushed for a similar move last year.

Government figures out Friday, Dec. 18 show sign-ups for Obamacare health insurance plans are trending more than 6% higher amid surging coronavirus cases and deepening economic misery. Numbers from New Jersey and Pennsylvania were not counted in Friday's tally from HealthCare.gov states. President Donald Trump failed to repeal “Obamacare" his first year in office, an early defeat he never forgot. Nonetheless, the Trump administration ignored calls to provide a special sign-up period related to the pandemic, something President-elect Joe Biden has said he will do. “This is the largest increase in HealthCare.gov enrollment since 2016 and it's the only increase during the Trump administration,” said Joshua Peck, who once served as marketing chief for the program.

Today is the last day to enroll in the Health Insurance Marketplace. Appalachian Power and will hold a virtual presentation about recent high water events at Smith Mountain Lake. Representatives will talk about the process for lowering the levels at both Smith Mountain and Leesville Lakes before heavy rain events and improving communications with property owners. Free meals will be given out today to those impacted by the pandemic. 700 meals will be given out between noon and 2:30 p.m. at The Coffee Pot on Brambleton Avenue in Roanoke.

In 36 states that use HealthCare.gov,- Dec. 15 is deadline day for coverage that starts Jan. 1, while another 14 states and Washington, D.C., have later dates. Analysts and advocates who follow the annual insurance sign-ups say interest has gotten stronger with the coronavirus pandemic gripping the nation. Medicaid expansion, another component of the health law, covers about 12 million people. Trump administration officials say what they have done is to focus on the smooth operation of the HealthCare.gov website for those who may want the coverage. Typically people who start the enrollment process before the end of deadline day are given a chance to complete it.

In 36 states that use HealthCare.gov,- Dec. 15 is deadline day for coverage that starts Jan. 1, while another 14 states and Washington, D.C., have later dates. Analysts and advocates who follow the annual insurance sign-ups say interest has gotten stronger with the coronavirus pandemic gripping the nation. Medicaid expansion, another component of the health law, covers about 12 million people. Trump administration officials say what they have done is to focus on the smooth operation of the HealthCare.gov website for those who may want the coverage. Typically people who start the enrollment process before the end of deadline day are given a chance to complete it.

Separately, Biden picked a Harvard infectious disease expert, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, to head the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Biden also announced other top members of his health care team, though some posts remain unfilled. But overseeing the coronavirus response will be the most complicated task he has ever contemplated. The core components of HHS are the boots on the ground of the government’s coronavirus response. Early in California’s coronavirus response, Becerra defended broad shutdowns Gov.

About 26 million people were uninsured last year — before the wave of layoffs that followed the virus shutdown this spring. Nonetheless, research from the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation suggests that about 6 in 10 uninsured people would be eligible for some form of subsidized coverage under the Obama-era law. Open enrollment for subsidized private plans through HealthCare.gov is underway and ends Dec. 15. Additionally, the Trump administration is taking no special action to promote the availability of coverage at a time of greater need for many. About 11.4 million people currently have private coverage under the ACA.

ROANOKE, Va. – Millions of Virginians could be left in health care limbo as the Affordable Care Act is being debated in the U.S. Supreme Court. He said 3.4 million Virginians could lose the current insurance protections for people with pre-existing conditions if the health care is repealed. “An insurance company could say we are going to charge you three times what we charge other people for health insurance or we are not going to cover you at all," Delzingaro said. According to the Congressional Budget Office, about 12% of people under 65 were not enrolled in a health insurance plan last year. “I don’t think President Trump could really describe to you what the Affordable Care Act does but he does know President Obama is the one who did it," Kaine said.

-- Maryland will reduce indoor operations for bars and restaurants from 75% to 50% in response to rising coronavirus cases and increased hospitalizations. Maryland also reported 1,338 new coronavirus cases Tuesday — the seventh straight day of at least 1,000 cases. ___WASHINGTON — The U.S. has surpassed 1 million new confirmed coronavirus cases since the start of November. The El Paso County sheriff’s office says two of the employees were hospitalized over the weekend as coronavirus cases surged at the facility. Officials first reported the outbreak on Oct. 26 when eight inmates tested positive for COVID-19.

WASHINGTON – When the Supreme Court weighs the fate of “Obamacare,” arguments will revolve around arcane points of law like severability — whether the justices can surgically snip out part of the law and leave the rest. But what’s at stake has real-world consequences for just about every American, as well as the health care industry, a major source of jobs and tax revenues. COVID-19 would become America's newest pre-existing condition, for more than 10 million people who have tested positive so far. Many Republicans, meanwhile, want to scale back the government's support for health care. Health care has only gotten more complicated.

I think, frankly, that they wanted the court to do that, but that’s not our job,” Roberts said. The Supreme Court could have heard the case before the election, but set arguments for a week after. Without the penalty, the law's mandate to have health insurance is unconstitutional, the GOP-led states argue. However, enrollment in the law’s insurance markets has stayed relatively stable at more than 11 million people, even after the effective date of the penalty’s elimination in 2019. The case could also be rendered irrelevant if the new Congress were to restore a modest penalty for not buying health insurance.

ROANOKE, Va – Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring is preparing to defend the Affordable Care Act as oral arguments are set to begin in front of the Supreme Court on Tuesday. Herring said he has already defended the Affordable Care Act several times. and that it would be reckless to take away access to affordable health care for thousands of Virginians. This is no time for the Trump administration, the Supreme Court or the Department of Justice to be ripping health care away,” said Herring. Herring said Republican lawmakers have not presented a plan to help cover health care for Virginians if the Affordable Care Act is repealed.

WASHINGTON – When the Supreme Court weighs the fate of “Obamacare” on Tuesday, arguments will revolve around arcane points of law like severability — whether the justices can surgically snip out part of the law and leave the rest. But what’s at stake has real-world consequences for just about every American, as well as the health care industry, a major source of jobs and tax revenues. COVID-19 would become America's newest pre-existing condition, for more than 10 million people who have tested positive so far. Many Republicans, meanwhile, want to scale back the government's support for health care. Health care has only gotten more complicated.

Images from the collection of the Supreme Court of the United States may not be used for any advertising or endorsement purposes, or in any way that might convey a false impression of Supreme Court sponsorship or approval.) WASHINGTON – She didn't have to wear a black robe or even be in Washington, but Justice Amy Coney Barrett joined her new colleagues at the Supreme Court on Monday to hear arguments for the first time. Like her colleagues, Barrett asked questions in both cases. As the junior justice, Barrett asked her questions last. So it’s unclear when Barrett will move in to her offices at the court, taking over the space of her predecessor, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

ROANOKE, Va – The future of the Affordable Care Act is a hot button topic that Virginia’s senators have been discussing leading up to the election. On Friday, Senator Tim Kaine held a roundtable discussion with health care providers in the Roanoke area to discuss the importance of the Affordable Care Act. The Supreme Court is set to soon hear a case that could eliminate the Affordable Care act entirely. Kaine heard from different non-profits that provide mental health and rehabilitation services in the Roanoke region, which he says are needed now more than ever. “As bad as it’s been, can you imagine how bad the last months would have been if there hadn’t been 400 thousand plus Virginians who had Medicaid because of the affordable care act?” Virginia Senator Tim Kaine said.

Never has the Senate confirmed a Supreme Court nominee so close to a presidential election. Republicans have bristled at Democrats’ claim that the Obama-era health law, known as “Obamacare,” is in jeopardy if Barrett joins the court. As the Senate committee met, protesters, some shouting “Stop the confirmation!” demonstrated outside the Capitol across the street from the Supreme Court. Unable to stop the confirmation, Democrats have been trying unsuccessfully to stall the process so the winner of the White House race could name the new nominee. Senate Majority Leader McConnell, R-Ky., has defended Barrett as “exceptionally qualified” as well as his own decision to push her nomination forward.

Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett listens during a confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2020, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (Erin Schaff/The New York Times via AP, Pool)WASHINGTON – The Latest on the Senate confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett (all times local):6:05 p.m.Amy Coney Barrett's Supreme Court confirmation hearing has gaveled to a close for the day, wrapping up three days of testimony. ___HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE BARRETT HEARINGS:Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett was back on Capitol Hill for the third day of her confirmation hearings. The confirmation hearing for Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett paused for about 40 minutes because of audio difficulties. ___9 a.m.Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett is back before the Senate Judiciary Committee to face more questions from senators at her confirmation hearing.

Yes, the Trump administration is asking the high court to throw out the Obama-era healthcare law, and if she is confirmed quickly Barrett could be on the Supreme Court when the court hears the case. Democrats also repeatedly brought up words Barrett wrote in 2017, when she was a law professor, criticizing Chief Justice John Roberts' 2012 opinion saving the Affordable Care Act. Barrett wrote that Roberts had "pushed the Affordable Care Act beyond its plausible meaning to save the statute." But the court could simply “sever” the mandate from the law and leave the rest of the law alone. One other key observer of the case suggested the Affordable Care Act would likely stand.

Yes, the Trump administration is asking the high court to throw out the Obama-era healthcare law, and if she is confirmed quickly Barrett could be on the Supreme Court when the court hears the case. Democrats also repeatedly brought up words Barrett wrote in 2017, when she was a law professor, criticizing Chief Justice John Roberts' 2012 opinion saving the Affordable Care Act. Barrett wrote that Roberts had "pushed the Affordable Care Act beyond its plausible meaning to save the statute." But the court could simply “sever” the mandate from the law and leave the rest of the law alone. One other key observer of the case suggested the Affordable Care Act would likely stand.

In this Oct. 1, 2020, photo, Supreme Court nominee Judge Amy Coney Barrett, meets with Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., at the Capitol in Washington. Confirmation hearings begin Monday for President Donald Trumps Supreme Court nominee, Amy Coney Barrett. If confirmed, the 48-year-old appeals court judge would fill the seat of liberal Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died last month. No Supreme Court has ever been confirmed so close to a presidential election. Barrett also is the most openly anti-abortion Supreme Court nominee in decades and her vote could provide a majority to restrict if not overturn abortion rights.

LYNCHBURG, Va. – A pink mega bus backing Amy Coney Barrett is heading to D.C. for next week’s Senate Judiciary confirmation hearing. Organized by the conservative group Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee, the bus made a pitstop at Liberty University Friday. The difficult decision comes at a crucial time as the Supreme Court will decide the fate of the Affordable Care Act. Barrett’s confirmation would give the high court a conservative majority and could repeal Obamacare, which could overturn healthcare coverage for nearly 20 million Americans. If appointed, Barrett would be President Trump’s third appointment to the nation’s highest court.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Monday the Supreme Court started its new term with only eight justices. Since the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has left the court without a ninth justice, decisions on cases could end in a stalemate. The Affordable Care Act and a case regarding religious freedom and anti-discrimination laws are just some of the major decisions the court is expected to make in this term. Tory Lucas with the Liberty University School of Law said the president’s recent COVID-19 diagnosis should not affect the hearing process for Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett, but it could limit the amount of people who will be allowed in the hearings. Amy Coney Barrett’s hearings are set to begin in the senate judiciary committee one week from Monday.

Barrett’s confirmation would cement a 6-3 conservative majority on the court, and she has compared her approach to the law generally to that of her mentor, Justice Antonin Scalia, one of the dissenters in the gay marriage case. Reversing the court’s decision in the gay marriage case would seem a tall order, but Thomas’ statement underscored liberals’ fears that the court could roll back some of their hardest-fought gains. The justices seemed prepared to uphold Delaware's political party provision, and the argument passed without any comment about the partisan fighting over the Supreme Court’s makeup. The justices will hear a total of 10 arguments this week and next, but the term is so far short on high-profile cases. The justices last heard argument in their courtroom in February and skipped planned arguments in March and April before hearing cases by phone in May.

FILE - In this May 3, 2020, file photo the setting sun shines on the Supreme Court building on Capitol Hill in Washington. The Supreme Court opens a new term Monday, Oct. 5. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)WASHINGTON – The Supreme Court opens a new term Monday with Republicans on the cusp of realizing a dream 50 years in the making, a solid conservative majority that might roll back abortion rights, expand gun rights and shrink the power of government. Barrett's confirmation would cement a 6-3 conservative majority and diminish Chief Justice John Roberts' ability to moderate the court's decisions. Four years ago, Republicans were content to leave a Supreme Court seat open through the election, even if it meant having an eight-justice court decide any election challenges.

WASHINGTON – About 2.5 million more working-age Americans were uninsured last year, even before the coronavirus pandemic struck, according to a government report issued Wednesday. The increase in the uninsured rate came even as the economy was chugging along in an extended period of low unemployment. Lack of affordable coverage was the top reason given for being uninsured, cited by nearly 3 out of 4 surveyed. In 2018, 26.3 million adults ages 18 to 64 were uninsured. Initial estimates from private experts that suggested more than 25 million people could have become uninsured due to pandemic job losses appear to have been too high.

Barrett tells the Senate Judiciary Committee that the White House initially contacted her Sept. 19, the day after Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died, creating the court vacancy. Trump made the offer when she visited the White House on Monday, Sept. 21, “and I accepted,” she wrote. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he was “even more convinced” of Barrett after their brief meeting. The Senate Judiciary Committee is set to hold hearings Oct. 12. At the Capitol, Vice President Mike Pence said Barrett “represents the best of America.” The White House formally submitted the nomination Tuesday.

The court will hear a case challenging the constitutionality of President Barack Obama's health care law just after the election, adding to the urgency of the issue. Asked about Feinstein's earlier comments, Democratic Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware, another committee member, said “religious faith should not be at issue here.” He then pivoted to health care. On Monday, Harris told voters in North Carolina that without the health care law, birth control coverage could be eliminated and pregnancy could be considered a preexisting condition. In focusing on health care, Democrats would be taking a different posture than in the last Supreme Court confirmation fight, when they argued that then-nominee Brett Kavanaugh was not fit to be a justice. They will also tie the health care issue to the pandemic and to abortion rights, the aides said.

Trump spoke at an airport hangar in swing-state North Carolina to a crowd that included white-coated, mask-wearing health care workers. For Trump, health care represents a major piece of unfinished business. Democrats, unable to slow the Republican march to Senate confirmation of a replacement for Ginsburg, are ramping up their election-year health care messaging. The gap narrowed for lowering costs of health care: 48% named Biden, while 42% picked Trump. The scramble to show concrete accomplishments on health care comes as Trump is chafing under criticism that he never delivered a Republican alternative to Obamacare.

A narrow ruling might leave most of the law intact, sparing protections for people with preexisting conditions, Medicaid expansion, health insurance subsidies and other core elements. It's one the few avenues Democrats have to try to block a Supreme Court nominee in the GOP-controlled chamber. In a Kaiser poll earlier this month, 49% of Americans viewed the health law favorably, while 42% did not. The latest case to threaten the health law rests on arcane arguments. Brought by Texas and other conservative-led states, the suit argued that without the tax, the health law's requirement that most Americans carry health insurance was unconstitutional.

Democratic presidential candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden speaks at the Constitution Center in Philadelphia, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2020, about the Supreme Court. – Joe Biden on Sunday used the sudden Supreme Court vacancy to reinforce his argument that the upcoming election should be a referendum on President Donald Trump's handling of health care and the coronavirus. Biden kept the focus on health care, which has proven to be a winning issue for Democrats during previous elections and could be even more resonant amid the pandemic. “Millions of Americans are voting because they know their health care hangs in the balance," Biden said during remarks at Constitution Center in Philadelphia. Their refusal to put names to Biden’s potential court pick underscores the political peril that the Supreme Court debate holds for Biden.

It's unclear whether the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments before the November election. A group of GOP-led states contends that because Congress repealed an ACA tax penalty, the law's requirement for individuals to carry health insurance is unconstitutional. “And now with COVID ... in the face of a major medical crisis, and depression-level unemployment, and people losing their health insurance? Yikes!”Last week the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and some 30 health groups called on Congress to help maintain health insurance coverage during the economic shutdown caused by the pandemic. But the White House is resisting anything that includes “Obamacare.” Instead the administration is using a health system relief fund created by Congress to reimburse hospitals for treating uninsured patients with COVID-19.

Obamacare is looking healthier as its seventh open enrollment period begins Friday, even as the nation's uninsured rate has begun to tick up and a federal appeals court considers a case that could invalidate the entire law. Open enrollment runs through Dec. 15 in the 38 states using the federal exchange. Maryland, for example, is launching an advertising campaign that will appear on social media and gas station screens, as well as print, online and television, and is holding nearly 20 "Get Connected" events in the initial days of open enrollment. District Judge Reed O'Connor in Texas announced his decision the day before open enrollment ended last year but did not block Obamacare's continued operation. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar has said that open enrollment will continue and 2020 coverage will not be disrupted if the 5th U.S.

Their uninsured rate jumped to 5.2% last year, up from 4.7% in 2016. Another Census study shows a similar increase, with the uninsured rate for kids increasing to 5.5% last year, up from 5.0% two years earlier. Also, the Trump administration's crackdown on immigration has discouraged parents from enrolling eligible children in public programs, leading to a rise in uninsured Latino children in particular. The majority of uninsured children qualify for either Medicaid or CHIP but are not enrolled. Fifteen states, led by Tennessee, Georgia and Texas, saw the number and/or rate of uninsured children increase.

Alex Wong/Getty Images(CNN) - The cost of Sen. Bernie Sanders' "Medicare for All" national health insurance plan prompted a heated argument between the senator and former Vice President Joe Biden, who supports building on the Affordable Care Act, at Thursday's Democratic presidential debate. Biden hammered Sanders, saying America can't afford the roughly $30 trillion price tag for his plan. But overall spending on health care would be expected to go up under Medicare for All, since everyone would be covered. Currently, health insurance isn't cheap. The average family spent about $4,700 on premiums and $3,000 on cost-sharing in 2018, according to the Peterson-Kaiser Health System Tracker.

Health care is personal to me. As more liberal candidates are proposing enrolling all Americans in a national health plan -- and, in turn, eliminating private health insurance -- Biden has stuck by former President Barack Obama's signature health care plan, proposing massive new subsidies to make health care through Obamacare's exchanges cheaper. "We got to build on what we did because every American deserves affordable health care," Biden says in his ad. The new health care ad is part of a six-figure television and digital ad purchase in the first-in-the-nation caucus state. Biden's campaign aired its first TV ad in Iowa last week entitled "Bones," which highlighted his work alongside Obama and painted President Donald Trump as "an erratic, vicious, bullying president."