The Democratic contenders are focusing on expanded health care coverage as the best way to address economic anxiety. But this year's plans are costlier and more ambitious, says Len Nichols, director of health policy at the New America Foundation.

Edwards puts the annual cost of his plan at $90 billion to $120 billion. Obama says his wouldn't cost more than $65 billion — if the assumed savings materialize.

Edwards would mandate that everyone buy coverage — a big leap from Kerry's 2004 plan that would have left 17 million uninsured.

Edwards and Obama would give people a choice to purchase private coverage or buy coverage from Medicare...

Gov't Rx Fixes In Vogue

Nichols attributes the shift in the health care debate to three factors.

First, premiums now cost close to 20% of family income.

Second, growing international competitiveness means high U.S. health care costs come out of profits.

The Business Roundtable is now much more vocal about the need for health care reform than in 2004. "These guys are demanding change," Nichols said.

Many old-line corporate titans such as GM made big promises to workers in the past that they can no longer afford. They would love to load their problems onto taxpayers.

Last year's health care pact in Massachusetts, signed by then-Gov. Mitt Romney, a GOP presidential hopeful, "proved that you could get a bipartisan agreement to actually cover everybody," Nichols said...

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