Tim Ryan says Medicare for All will lose Democrats '48 states' — but he's co-sponsoring almost the same bill

On Tuesday night's Democratic debate, Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH) got into a testy exchange with Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) about the viability of "Medicare for All," the plan to cover all Americans' medical expenses on a single-payer insurance system administered as a public program, often envisioned to be free at the point of use. He warned that Democrats will 'lose 48 states' if they adopt this proposal as their centerpiece.

Listening to Ryan, you would never guess that — as The Daily Beast points out — he is in fact the co-sponsor of a Medicare for All bill in Congress.

That bill, introduced by Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), would do something very similar to Sanders' plan, creating a public insurance program that covers all medical, dental and vision care, and prescription drugs — and prohibits private insurance companies from offering duplicative coverage.

Nearly all Democrats in the primary support universal health care, but differ on the approach. Some, like Sanders and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) favor full Medicare for All, while others, like former Vice President Joe Biden, back stabilizing the Affordable Care Act and creating a public insurance option available to all those who want it.