Joe Biden said Sunday the struggles that Italy has had combating the coronavirus epidemic exposes the shortcomings of a single-payer health care system.

“You have a single-payer system in Italy,” Mr. Biden said in the first one-on-one showdown with Sen. Bernard Sanders. “It doesn’t work there. It has nothing to do with Medicare for All. That will not serve the problem at all.”

Mr. Sanders, meanwhile, argued that the coronavirus has highlighted the gaps in the current system and the need for Medicare for All.

“This coronavirus pandemic exposes the incredible weakness and dysfunctionality of our current healthcare system,” he said.

Mr. Sanders and Mr. Biden said that Americans should not have to pay anything out of pocket to cover the costs of healthcare related to COVID-19.

Mr. Sanders said that the question is whether the nation is ready to stand up to insurance and drug companies.

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