“I support the spirit of Medicare for All,” Yang said in rolling out his new plan on Dec. 16, adding that he feels “eliminating private insurance for millions of Americans is not a realistic strategy.”

Instead, Yang is calling for a set of policies to bring down pharmaceutical drug costs; use technology to help rural and low-income people access care; beef up mental health, dental, vision and reproductive health benefits; and keep lobbyists and executives out of policy-making.

What would the plan do?

Yang lays out six steps he maintains will address the “underlying problems” of our current system.

His proposal to lower soaring drug costs would empower the government to directly negotiate pharmaceutical prices. The plan does not specify whether this would apply only to Medicare and other public plans or whether it would include the private market as well.

Those negotiations would be shaped by international reference pricing — an idea supported by some Democrats and, earlier this year, by President Donald Trump, that would peg the amount the U.S. pays for drugs to what other developed nations pay. Should those negotiations fail to bring down costs, Yang would direct the government to manufacture drugs itself to create more competition or import cheaper drugs from overseas — ideas previously floated by Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders, respectively.

Yang also proposes making telehealth services more widely available, licensing doctors to practice across state lines, and creating a rural broadband internet network to reach underserved communities.

He proposes paying physicians by salary instead of by a fee-for-service basis, doing more to shield providers from malpractice lawsuits, and incentivizing doctors to work in rural areas by forgiving student loans.

He also says he would shift the focus of the health system to preventive care; boost coverage of mental health care, vision, dental, reproductive and maternal health, veterans' health and care for people with disabilities; and curtail the influence of lobbyists.

How would it work?

Yang’s plan is a combination of executive and regulatory actions he could take as president, pledges to work with Congress on passing legislation, and promises to pressure the health care industry to make reforms. These tactics in combination, he argues, would reduce high health care costs more swiftly and effectively than a full-scale overhaul like Medicare for All. His plan doesn't have a cost estimate.

What are the weaknesses in the proposal?

Much of Yang’s plan depends on Congress — the drug negotiation piece in particular. This year has shown how difficult it is to pass even modest health care fixes on Capitol Hill.

The plan also doesn't address the tens of millions of people who are uninsured or those who are struggling to pay their insurance plans’ high premiums, co-pays or deductibles.

Additionally, it isn’t clear how Yang would accomplish several of the provisions in his plan. He pledges, for instance, to “ensure Americans have access to comprehensive sexual and reproductive care, including STI screenings, contraception, and abortion” but does not indicate what combination of executive orders and legislation that would entail — other than repealing Trump’s Title X rule that cut funding to Planned Parenthood.

What have other Democrats proposed?

Nearly the entire 2020 Democratic field falls under two basic camps: those supporting a Medicare for All system that would essentially replace private insurance, and those who favor a public option that would exist alongside and compete with private health plans.

Former Vice President Joe Biden, the loudest voice in the latter camp, has proposed a public option along with enhanced subsidies and benefits for existing enrollees in the Affordable Care Act marketplaces. His campaign says his plan would give 97 percent of Americans health care coverage.

South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg has released his own “Medicare for All Who Want It” proposal that would keep the existing private insurance industry with an option for health insurance from the government. Like Biden’s plan, it would also enhance subsidies.

Warren, who has embraced Sanders' Medicare for All bill, has additionally detailed her own $20.5 trillion plan to finance the single-payer system with a mix of sources, including tax hikes on the wealthiest Americans, employer contributions, and comprehensive immigration reform.

Who would it help?

Yang’s plan puts a strong focus on mental health, care for veterans, people with disabilities, reproductive health, and HIV/AIDs detection and treatment. The plan would also help those with chronic conditions like diabetes or cancer who struggle to afford their medication, and people in rural areas who would benefit from the telehealth and doctor incentive proposals.

Who opposes it?

Yang has already come under fire from Sanders' progressive supporters and staffers for not embracing his Medicare for All bill that would essentially make private insurance obsolete.

Pharmaceutical companies are also likely to fight tooth and nail against any proposals that would cut into their profits.