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U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris was forced to clarify her position on private health insurance again on Friday, an unwelcome distraction from a standout debate performance that her campaign said drew a surge of financial contributions. Harris and U.S. Senate colleague Bernie Sanders were the only two candidates to raise their hands during Thursday night's second Democratic debate when asked, "Who here would abolish their private health insurance in favor of a government-run plan?" (6/28)

On the debate stage Thursday, Senator Kamala Harris raised her hand, seemingly in support of a government insurance proposal that would eliminate employer insurance. On Friday, she said she had misunderstood the question. The wording of the question left room for confusion, but Ms. Harris also has a history of making conflicting statements on the issue. In a CNN town hall in January, she said she’d favor eliminating all private health insurance. The next day, her campaign walked it back. (Sanger-Katz, 6/28)

During Wednesday night’s debate, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio both said they would support eliminating private insurance in favor of a government-run plan. Over the two nights of debates, the candidates demonstrated fault lines within the party on the issue of health insurance coverage. The candidates appeared united in favor of universal insurance coverage. But some favor a government-run public option, such as one to be offered on the exchanges set up under the 2010 health care law (PL 111-148, PL 111-152), while others are calling for a single-payer system that would end most private insurance. (McIntire, 6/28)

It was a command as much as a question, intended to put an end to months of equivocating and obfuscating on the issue: Which of the Democratic presidential candidates on the debate stage supported abolishing private health insurance in favor of a single government-run plan? Show of hands, please. Just four arms went up over the two nights — Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Mayor Bill de Blasio of New York on Wednesday, and Senators Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Kamala Harris of California on Thursday — even though five candidates who kept their hands at their sides have signed onto bills in Congress that would do exactly that. (Goodnough and Kaplan, 6/28)

Practically the first words spoken at the first Democratic primary debate on Wednesday zeroed in on drug companies, as Sen. Elizabeth Warren (Mass.) fingered biopharma as a prime example of corporate excess and a culprit for an economic system skewed in favor of the wealthy. Democrats rushed to echo Warren’s remarks, sharply criticizing “Big Pharma” for its lobbying presence in Washington, for high drug prices, and for furthering the opioid crisis. All told, nine of the 20 candidates worked drug industry jabs into their remarks. (Facher, 6/28)

Democratic presidential candidate Julián Castro on Sunday stood firm on wanting to give undocumented immigrants access to health care if he is elected. After the first Democratic debate Wednesday night, the former HUD secretary, along with other candidates, drew criticism for saying they would give undocumented immigrants access to health care. (Quilantan, 6/30)

Health care is emerging as a prime contrast between candidates in the Kentucky gubernatorial race this fall, where Republican incumbent Gov. Matt Bevin and Democratic state Attorney General Andy Beshear are locked in a heated battle. A number of health policy issues have divided Kentuckians during Bevin’s tenure, including his involvement in a lawsuit led by conservatives to overturn the 2010 health care law (PL 111-148, PL 111-152). Beshear is part of a coalition of Democratic attorneys general defending the law. (Raman, 7/1)