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From its opening moments, the [Democratic] debate devolved into a series of searing exchanges over one overarching theme: which of the two Democrats was the most progressive. On one level, the debate was over semantics: The candidates share a similar worldview about aggressive government support for universal health care, public education and aid to the poor, and both of them used the word “rigged” to describe the American economy. But they kept putting their own personal spin on the word “progressive,” with Mrs. Clinton deriding Mr. Sanders as the “self-proclaimed gatekeeper for progressivism” and accusing him of judging her unfairly. Rebutting Mr. Sanders’s claim that she is a political moderate. (Martin and Healy, 2/4)

After pledging early on to not engage in any negative attacks on his rival, Bernie Sanders has more pointedly called out Clinton for her record and used the poison “E” word – establishment. “What being part of the establishment is, is, in the last quarter, having a super PAC that raised $15 million from Wall Street, that throughout one's life raised a whole lot of money from the drug companies and other special interests,” he said. And he dismissed Clinton’s notion that his proposals for free college and universal healthcare are progressive, but not possible. “Now all of the ideas that I'm talking about, they are not radical ideas,” he said. (Debenedetti, 2/4)

Clashing one-on-one for the first time, in a Thursday night debate a day after a New Hampshire town hall, the more than two hours of jostling — over healthcare, Wall Street regulation, what it means to be a true progressive — came down to a fundamental question: Do Democrats want ground-shaking change after eight years in control of the White House, as Sanders promises, or mere refinement of the programs and policies that President Obama put into place, as Clinton suggests? (Barabak and Halper, 2/4)

Clinton used her opening statement to needle the senator from Vermont, who describes himself as a democratic socialist, over what she has contended are unrealistically liberal plans for universal health care, free college and other programs. “I’m fighting for people who cannot wait for those changes, and I’m not making promises that I cannot keep,” the former secretary of state said. (Gearan and Tumulty, 2/4)

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont said at a debate Thursday he would not dismantle the current health insurance system created by the Affordable Care Act while creating his single-payer system. Hillary Clinton said at the debate in New Hampshire, which has its primary Tuesday, that she shares Sanders' wish for universal health insurance coverage but “the disagreement is where do we start from.” (Muchmore, 2/4)

[Hillary] Clinton also put [Vermont Sen. Bernie] Sanders on the defensive over his proposal to pursue a "Medicare for all" single-payer health care plan. (Condon, 2/5)

In the first question of the night, [Hillary] Clinton was asked why she thinks [Vermont Sen. Bernie] Sanders' proposed policies would not turn into actual legislation. Clinton said health care was a prime example where Sanders would essentially redo what President Barack Obama had already put into action. (Sotomayor, 2/5)

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump on Thursday vowed to renegotiate the prices Medicare pays for drugs, arguing that pharmaceutical companies had been let off the hook by policymakers in thrall of their campaign contributions. “When it comes time to negotiate the cost of drugs, we are going to negotiate like crazy,” Mr. Trump told a crowd of several hundred people gathered at a town hall-style campaign event here. (Haddon, 2/4)

The Ohio governor is trying to turn Tuesday’s New Hampshire primary into a test of whether his party has room for a throwback brand of Republicanism. As he travels the state, Kasich is emphasizing fiscal policy and other issues that have long been important to Republicans but have not animated the party base in recent elections. He boasts his centrist credentials, embracing his decision in Ohio to accept more Medicaid funds as part of President Obama’s health-care law. (Kranish, 2/4)

Nearly six years after its enactment, the Affordable Care Act remains a hot-button issue in the presidential race — in both parties. “Our health care is a horror show,” said GOP candidate Donald Trump at the Republican debate in South Carolina Dec 15. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, winner of the Iowa caucuses, said at the debate in Des Moines Jan. 28 that the health law has been “a disaster. It is the biggest job-killer in our country.” Democrats largely support the law, but even they can’t agree on how to fix its problems. ... Here is a brief guide to some things the health law has — and has not — accomplished. (Rovner, 2/5)